The Boston Celtics are looking to take a 3-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
Boston won both games at home. It heads into Dallas with an opportunity to pretty much put the series on ice.
Unfortunately, the Celtics won’t have one of their core players. They announced ahead of Game 3 that big man Kristaps Porzingis will not play due to a knee injury.
Porzingis had missed weeks of action earlier in the playoffs due to a calf injury. He was able to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, putting on a display as Boston blew out Dallas.
Unfortunately, Porzingis suffered a knee injury in Game 2 as he attempted to block a Kyrie Irving shot. It had been trendng in the direction of the injury-plagued big man missing at least one game.
“Celtics Center Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg at 3:27 of the third quarter of Game 2. The injury is unrelated to Porzingis’s prior right calf injury. After consultation with numerous specialists regarding this rare injury, his availability for upcoming games will be determined day-to-day.”
Boston Celtics statment on Kristaps Porzingis earlier this week
With Porzingis now officially out for Game 3, look for fellow veteran big man Al Horford to continue playing as larger role.
Horford is averaging 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds on 35% shooting from three-point range thus far in the postseason.
If Boston is able to come out on top without Porzingis on Wednesday, it will be one win away from the NBA title. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven NBA Playoff series.