Kristaps Porzingis Status Officially Revealed for Celtics Ahead of ...

22 days ago

Newsweek

Kristaps Porzingis Status Officially Revealed for Celtics Ahead of

The status of Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has officially been revealed ahead of NBA Finals Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who hasn't played since April 29 with a strained calf, is officially active for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

Porzingis, one of the best players on the Celtics, will provide a huge boost to Boston as they look to take Game 1 at home.

More news: The 10 Best Players of the 2024 NBA Finals Between Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks

Porzingis left Boston's first-round matchup against the Miami Heat in Game 4 and missed the team's next 10 games as they finished off the Heat and handled the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers en route to the Finals. However, they'll now have their star big man back in the lineup, which is great news for a Boston team that thrived when Porzingis was healthy all season long.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 05: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot during the 2024 NBA Finals Media Day at TD Garden on June 05, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Porzingis' status has... BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 05: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot during the 2024 NBA Finals Media Day at TD Garden on June 05, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Porzingis' status has officially been revealed for NBA Finals Game 1. More Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Porzingis was acquired by the Celtics in a three-team trade last summer. The former No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from the 3-point line, and 85.8 percent from the free throw line. The Celtics were 43-14 with Porzingis in the lineup this regular season, but were even more dominant without him, going 21-4.

Still, the Celtics need their star big man to match up with Dallas' bigs such as Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, so Porzingis is making his return at a perfect time.

More news: NBA Finals Predictions for Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks

On Wednesday, at the NBA Finals media day, Porzingis gave an update on how he was feeling.

"It was a long road to get to this point for me. But feeling good," Porzingis said. "(It) burns inside of me, not being able to be out there. But tomorrow finally I'll get the chance and I'm excited."

While Porzingis was feeling good, he didn't know what it would be like to jump right back into action after a long absence.

"I did as much as I could to prepare for this moment, but there's nothing like game minutes and game experience that I'm going to get tomorrow," Porzingis said. "It will be tough to jump into the Finals like this."

Porzingis won't have much time to adjust back to game minutes, as there's very little margin for error in the Finals.

Tip-off for Game 1 is Thursday at 5:30 pm. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Full NBA Finals Schedule: How to Watch, Betting Odds and More for Mavericks vs Celtics

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