After eliminating the Miami Heat in the first round with a gentlemen’s sweep, the Boston Celtics will commence their quest for a sixth Eastern Conference Finals berth in eight years tonight. Kristaps Porzingis‘ addition to the pre-game injury report will concern Celtics fans as they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Celtics have been sitting idle since May 1, waiting for the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ grueling seven-game series against the Orlando Magic. A five-day break in the middle of the playoffs is rare and Boston’s players must’ve made good use of it to recuperate and recover from nagging injuries before they finally return to action on Tuesday. But not everyone was able to recover in time for Game 1.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss the series opener against the Cavaliers with a right soleus strain, per injury reports. He suffered the injury in the second quarter of Boston’s comfortable Game 4 win over the Miami Heat.
The injury happened innocuously, but Porzingis looked devastated immediately. The 28-year-old had put his hands on his head before limping to the sidelines and exiting the game. The MRI revealed that the center had suffered a soleus strain and would be sidelined for multiple weeks.
This means that he’ll likely not be available till the Eastern Conference Finals if the Celtics make it to there. His absence will be a massive blow for Boston, while Cleveland will be slightly relieved about not having to worry about containing the star center.
Can the Celtics cope with losing Kristaps Porzingis?
The Celtics knew what they signed up for when they traded for Kristaps Porzingis. Injuries have been a recurring theme throughout his career. Porzingis played 72 games in his rookie season and has since failed to get close to that mark, peaking at 65 appearances in the 2022-23 season with the Washington Wizards.
Boston was aware that Porzingis’ injury issues could crop up anytime and hence, retained veteran Al Horford as insurance. They even had Luke Kornet fill in at center. The Celtics’ diligence paid off as they cruised to a 21-4 record in the 25 games the Latvian star missed this regular season.
They thrashed the Heat 118-84 in the only game he hasn’t played in the playoff so far, showcasing that they can cope without their starting center, especially against a team like Cleveland.
