With a dislocated tendon in his left ankle following an earlier injury that cost him ten postseason games, Porzingis was unable to play in Games 3–4.
Just in time to assist the Boston Celtics win an NBA championship, Kristaps Porzingis made a successful comeback.
After missing the previous two games, the 7-foot-2 Latvian returned on Monday night. In just 16 minutes, he scored five points and pulled down one rebound to help the Celtics defeat the Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 and capture their 18th NBA title.
I threw in everything I had. I did the best I could, he remarked. And, dude, being a champion feels amazing.
With a dislocated tendon in his left ankle, Porzingis was unable to play in Game 3. Despite being given the all-clear to play a limited part in Game 4, he never removed his warmups during Boston’s 122-84 defeat at Dallas.
On Monday morning, he was deemed doubtful and only worked out on the court approximately two and a half hours before tipoff. Shooting, some light-contact post work, and lateral mobility drills were all part of the programme.
Before Monday’s match, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated to the media that Porzingis will be ready and added, We expect to see him tonight. With 6:49 remaining in the first quarter, Porzingis emerged off the Boston bench to a loud roar.
After missing his opening 3-point try, he converted one of his two free throw attempts. He ended 2 for 4 from the field and added a couple of baskets, including a dunk in the fourth quarter that put Boston ahead by 21 points.
It was the night, he declared. Listen, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, I said. And I’m just overjoyed to contribute to the team and be a part of this.
The calf strain that Porzingis suffered on April 29 in the first round against Miami, which caused him to miss ten games, is unrelated to his tendon problem, according to the Celtics.
It was a ripped object. After that, my tendon is only misaligned. And every step hurts very much. My leg would swell up when I would go for walks in Dallas, he explained. I was thinking that I had no idea how or if I was going to play at all.
However, I always had the attitude that I would try to figure out how to handle things.
I managed to get it going for this game, too. Undoubtedly, a significant portion of it was the rush of performing live at the Garden in front of our supporters and having the chance to finish it off. And I’ve got it going on, man.
In his first six postseason games, Porzingis averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. Against Dallas in Game 1, he recorded 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots.
