Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis was helped to the locker room nursing his ankle after landing awkwardly in the third quarter of Thursday night's matchup against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center.
With just over seven minutes left in the third, Porzingis went up to defend a shot against Heat center Bam Adebayo. His left foot landed on top of Adebayo's foot causing his ankle to bend.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Shortly after the play, Porzingis limped over to the bench where team officials helped carry him into the locker room. He was listed as doubtful to return with a left ankle sprain. Porzingis returned to the bench for the start of the fourth quarter but didn't come back in the game, as the Celtics already had a 23-point lead en route to a 143-110 win.
Porzingis was off to a great start prior to his departure, logging 19 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep, four rebounds, and an assist. The 7-foot-2 Latvian shared an encouraging update on his injury after the game, saying he could have come back in the game if needed.
"Not too bad," Porzingis said of his ankle. "It got me pretty good in the moment, but feeling pretty good now.
" ... I think tomorrow will be clearer, how it’s doing, especially after the flight and all that. But as of right now, I’m feeling pretty good. I’m just trying to stay positive.”
Porzingis has a lengthy injury history, often missing large chunks of a season. While he played in a respectable 65 games with the Washington Wizards last season, Porzingis has struggled to stay healthy since his ACL tear during the 2017-18 season with the New York Knicks. After missing the entire 2018-19 season, the big played in just 202 of the 410 games throughout the next five seasons.
Boston's next game is Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden.
