Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis remains a question mark

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla offers update on Kristaps Porzingis ahead of NBA Finals

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated May 29, 2024 1:58 PM ET

The Boston Celtics have reached the NBA Finals despite being without one of their best players for the majority of the postseason and it remains unclear if that will change.

Kristaps Porzingis suffered a calf injury during Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat and has not played since. During a Wednesday appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” show, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked if Porzingis will play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday.

Mazzulla said he was “not sure” but that Porzingis was “ramping up on the court a little bit.”

Joe Mazzulla tells @ZoandBertrand that Kristaps Porzingis is "ramping up the intensity level" ahead of the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/csLOH4pqis

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 29, 2024

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that there was a chance Porzingis could return by Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That did not happen, but the Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers and it is possible that Porzingis would have played had the series been closer.

Porzingis told reporters after the Eastern Conference Finals that he is progressing and “will be ready to go.”

Porzingis landed in Boston via a three-team trade last offseason. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during the regular season and has looked like a perfect fit with the Celtics. He has not been needed thus far in the playoffs, but Boston will probably need his ability to stretch the floor against either the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves in the Finals.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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