Celtics
A report from ESPN indicated that Porzingis likely did not suffer an Achilles tendon injury.
Kristaps Porzingis left Monday’s game in the final minutes of the second quarter. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe team)
The Celtics entered halftime of Game 4 against the Miami Heat with a 17-point lead. But Boston’s short-term results have been marred by injury concerns surrounding star Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis left the Kaseya Center court in the final minutes of the second quarter, showing visible frustration as he gingerly made his way to the locker room. Minutes after the end of the second quarter, the Celtics announced that Porzingis was doubtful to return in Game 4 due to “right calf tightness.”
The optics surrounding Porzinigs’ injury have likely struck fear into any Celtics fan hoping for a deep playoff run. The 28-year-old center appeared to suffer a non-contact injury while trying to pass the ball to Jaylen Brown. Porzingis immediately limped onto the play, waving the bench out of the game with 2:27 left in the quarter.
Any non-contact injury is an immediate concern for a key cog like Porzingis, although the former All-Star appeared to roll his ankle on a few plays before his likely game-ending injury.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on X that Porzingis “will undergo imaging on Tuesday, but early indications are that he did not suffer an Achilles tendon injury.”
The Celtics will likely welcome a scenario in which it’s just calf strains that plague their 7-foot-2 big man, even if it leads to Porzingis sitting out part of this playoff run. Porzingis struggled with calf and hamstring issues during the regular season, playing in 57 of a possible 82 games.
Porzingis’ size, spacing and scoring touch, both in the post and beyond the arc, have been the difference for the top-seeded Celtics this season.
“Probably the most important guy on our team for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Jayson Tatum told Porzingis reporters after Boston’s Game 3 win at Miami. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he was going to have a better game and bounce back, just like he started the game on both ends of the floor being active. When he’s protecting the rim and contesting shots, we’re a whole different team.
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