Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics leaves the game against the Miami Heat during the second quarter after suffering an apparent injury in game four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 29, 2024 in Miami, Florida.
The Boston Celtics are four wins away from finally getting the monkey off their backs.
They have won just two championships since 1986, yet their early-years dominance still has them at the top of the winningest teams list.
They already made it to the NBA Finals two years ago, but crumbled under pressure against the Golden State Warriors.
Now, they will face a very tough Dallas Mavericks team that will also be a tough challenge.
Fortunately for them, it seems like they’ll be at full strength for that.
According to Tim Bontemps, coach Joe Mazzulla revealed that Kristaps Porzingis went through everything the rest of the players went through during practice.
Joe Mazzulla said Kristaps Porzingis went through everything the team did Saturday, though made it seem like it was a moderate practice compared to them doing more as the week up until Game 1 progresses.
Still, he did admit that it wasn’t a full practice, and the team will most likely ramp things up later in the week as they prepare for Game 1.
Porzingis will have roughly five weeks to recover from the calf injury he suffered in Game 4 vs. the Miami Heat in the first round.
He’s been a major contributor on both ends of the floor for this team, and while the Celtics are stacked and haven’t needed him to get to this spot in the playoffs, they’re going to be battle-tested on the biggest stage.
The Mavericks boast plenty of size with P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively, and Daniel Gafford, and Porzingis’ rim protection and shooting will be crucial in most matchups.
And judging by Mazzulla’s words, he should be available at some point, even if it’s not for the first game of the series.
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