...
By Noah Camras
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Boston Celtics have officially announced the status of their star big man, Kristaps Porziņģis for Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Porziņģis, who suffered a torn medial retinaculum in his left leg that would allow dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon, will not play in Wednesday night's Game 3, per the team.
...
Read More on NBA
Porziņģis is dealing with a rare injury, and one the Celtics are taking very seriously. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula said that Porziņģis' availability would be determined by team doctors, taking the decision out of Porziņģis' hands. Those comments came after Porziņģis emphatically exclaimed, "I'll die out there if we need," following Game 2.
Clearly, the team's doctors didn't feel comfortable having Porziņģis go out there, so despite his initial optimism, he will be out for Game 3. His status for the remainder of the series will be determined on a day-to-day basis.
The Celtics enter Game 3 in Dallas with a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series. Jaylen Brown has led the way for Boston, but they've gotten contributions across the board in the first two games of the series. Jayson Tatum hasn't shot well but has loaded the stat sheet, while guards Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have played at incredibly high levels on both ends of the court.
More news: NBA Finals MVP Leaderboard: Top 5 Candidates in Celtics vs Mavericks
On the other side of things, the Mavericks have struggled to get help alongside Luka Dončić. Dončić has done just about everything he can, averaging 31 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. However, he's gotten little help from his supporting cast, especially NBA champion Kyrie Irving, who's averaging just 14.0 points per game while shooting 35.1 percent from the field.
No team in NBA postseason history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit, so Dallas should be treating Wednesday's night Game 3 as must-win.
Dallas will need Dončić to continue his hit hot play, while Irving, P.J. Washington Jr., and Daniel Gafford make big contributions on both ends of the court.
As for Boston, they'll look to continue to hound Irving while also slowing down the rest of Dallas' supporting cast. They'll have to do it without Porziņģis, though.
Tip-off for Wednesday night's game is 8:30 p.m. ET. Game 4 will be on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
More news: Red Sox Make Big Accommodation to Celtics For Rivalry Game vs Yankees
If Dallas is able to win one of the next two games, Game 5 will be back in Boston on Monday night.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines