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 won't suit up for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, and there appears to be a strong chance he'll miss the remainder of the series.
Shortly before the 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off, Porzingis was ruled out for Wednesday's matchup due to a "rare" left leg injury he suffered in Game 2. The star big man was originally listed as questionable with a left posterior tibialis dislocation.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis' injury situation will continue to be a "day-to-day thing." However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski shared a more pessimistic outlook during NBA Countdown, reporting there is "real doubt" Porzingis will be able to return at any point in the series.
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For what it's worth, Porzingis told NBA TV's Jared Greenberg he will return. That's an encouraging sign, but that decision likely will be out of his hands as the Celtics' medical team will have the final say.
Porzingis' absence will be a significant blow to Boston's frontcourt. Veteran Al Horford will again be asked to play more minutes at center with Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman contributing off the bench.
In his two Finals appearances, Porzingis helped the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead with 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game.
