Boston Celtics receive bad news on Kristaps Porzingis injury front ahead of Game 1 versus Pacers

Jayson Tatum has been Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown has taken another leap. Jrue Holiday has been a steady presence. Derrick White has become a two-way force. But Kristaps Porzingis has been the skeleton key that’s unlocked the Boston Celtics this season.

The 7-foot-2 center’s ability to drag big men out to the perimeter and punish smaller defenders in the post has given Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla a plethora of options offensively when Porzingis is on the floor. The 28-year-old is one of the league’s best rim protectors as well and certainly Boston’s best interior defender.

He’s helped a team that’s played in five Eastern Conference finals in the past seven years go from one of the best teams in the league to the best. The Celtics led the NBA in wins this season and their net rating of 11.6 was the third-best in NBA history.

But Porzingis’ lengthy injury history caught up with him in Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat when he suffered a calf strain in Game 4. The Celtics have survived without him thus far, but they’ll need the original unicorn back if they hope to win this year’s NBA title, and the latest news is no news – which is bad news.

Kristaps Porzingis still hasn’t practiced for Boston Celtics

The one-time All-Star was expected to miss at least the first few games of the Eastern Conference Finals, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. But Woj added there was hope Porzingis could return at some point in the series.

On the eve of Game 1, though, Mazzulla said his star big man hasn’t returned to practice, per Jay King of The Athletic.

Joe Mazzulla was asked what Kristaps Porzingis is able to do right now.

“I have no idea,” Mazzulla said.

That’s often his response when guys are injured. He said Porzingis did not practice today.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 20, 2024

If Porzingis returns for Game 3 on Saturday, he will have gone from not practicing to playing in a high-stakes playoff game in six days. That seems optimistic, even before taking into account the fact that the Celtics will be trying to keep up with an Indiana Pacers team that led the league in scoring during the regular season, was second in pace and just dropped 70 points in a half against the New York Knicks.

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