Mannix: Porzingis’ health ‘worth watching’ before Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Kristaps Porzingis insisted he would do anything to play in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, jokingly suggesting he would “die there” if necessary.
But even if the Boston Celtics big man is on the court against the Mavericks on Wednesday night in Dallas, will he be limited in some way? And what kind of ripple effect could that have on his team?
During an appearance Monday on Boston’s NBC Sports Arbella early edition, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix expressed concern about Porzingis’ injury, which he appeared to suffer with about 6:20 to play in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Game 2 while defending Mavs wing PJ Washington on a drive.
“He just tripped over everything,” Mannix said of the play that caused Porzingis’ injury, which you can watch in the video above. “And when I watched him from my seat on the sideline, he had that stretch band off and he was working on that left leg — not the right leg that made him miss the 38 days, but the left leg. But even though that’s certainly better than the right to re-injure, you now wonder: is he going to start overcompensating on one leg?
“These are the types of injuries that can worsen very quickly if a guy is back on the ground too quickly, so his health is definitely worth keeping an eye on going into Game 3.”
Sunday marked only Porzingis’ second game back from a right calf injury suffered in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat. The Celtics big man was outstanding in Game 1 with 20 points and three blocks in 20 minutes of play and started strong in Game 2 with eight points in the first quarter, but head coach Joe Mazzulla picked him off with just over four minutes to play . the fourth quarter in favor of Al Horford.
The Celtics held on for a 105-98 win, taking a 2-0 series lead and have a track record of success without Porzingis, going 9-1 in the 10 games he missed earlier this postseason. But Mannix would still be concerned from a Boston perspective if the 7-foot-2 big man missed extra time.
“I think if he’s gone, it opens the door for the Mavericks to come back,” Mannix said. “While Al Horford has been brilliant this season, Al Horford is at his best when the Celtics keep him on track for 30 minutes or less in each of these games.
“And if you’re going to do that without Porzingis, you’re talking about playing Luke Kornet for a few minutes, you’re talking about playing Oshae Brissett for a few of these minutes. These aren’t guys that I think are at all be ready for primetime in a series like this. They need Kristaps Porzingis.”
The Celtics will look to improve to 7-0 on the road this postseason in Game 3 at the American Airlines Center. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM ET, with Celtics Pregame Live from 7 p.m
