Tom Giles, Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine offer their instant reaction and analysis after the Celtics announced big man Kristaps Porzingis will not play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals after suffering an ankle injury in Game 2.
Kristaps Porzingis will not play in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night due to a rare left leg injury suffered in Game 2 of the series.
The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis had a "torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg." He was officially ruled out a few hours before tip-off of Game 3.
The injury occurred late in the third quarter during Sunday's Game 2 win over the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
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Porzingis' status for the rest of the series is unknown. Game 4 is Friday in Dallas, and Game 5 is Monday night in Boston.
"The medical team and the staff just decided that it wasn't what's best for him to go tonight," head coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday in his pregame press conference. "It'll just be a day-to-day thing to see how he is tomorrow and the next day."
Al Horford will start at center again, which is no surprise. The real question is who else will get minutes at center with Porzingis unavailable?
The Celtics could play Jayson Tatum at center in some small-ball lineups. But if Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is on the court, the C's likely will need at least one center in their lineup. Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Oshae Brissett are options for head coach Joe Mazzulla.
The loss of Porzingis is a real setback for the Celtics. He was fantastic over the first two games, both as a scorer and a rim protector. His five blocks through two games are one more than the Mavs' team total. Boston also outscored Dallas by 25 points during Porzingis' 44 minutes played over the first two games.
The Celtics lead the series 2-0. Tip-off for Game 3 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
