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The Boston Celtics have been without big star Kristaps Porzingis since Game 4 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat, but fortunately for the Eastern Conference champions, they seem confident he will return to the fold soon. On Wednesday, Porzingis posted a tweet in his native Latvian that translated as “Thank you to everyone who supports and sympathizes throughout the season. I’ll be back in line soon. See you at the finals.” He closed that tweet by stating that he also plans to play for the Latvian national team in this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournament.
Porzingis, who has dealt with injury issues throughout his career, played in 57 games for the Celtics this season. He suffered a strain to his soleus (one of two calf muscles) during that first-round win over the Heat. He has been sidelined ever since, with reports at the time indicating a possible return during the Eastern Conference finals that never materialized. The NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 6 regardless of who wins the Western Conference, so Porzingis still has more than a week to recover.
The Dallas Mavericks currently lead the Western Conference Finals 3-1 over the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he completes the victory in that series, Porzingis would play against his former team in the NBA Finals, since he played for Dallas between 2019 and 2022. The Mavericks also have a star who would seek revenge against a former team in the Finals, since Kyrie Irving played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019.
The Celtics made it through the Eastern Conference virtually unscathed despite Porzingis’ absence. They went 12-2 against the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, although all three teams were missing key players due to injuries for at least part of those matchups. The Mavericks or Timberwolves would pose a much bigger threat. Having Porzingis back for either opponent would be critical, as his ability to score at all three levels and protect the basket would be necessary against such talented teams.
The Celtics did not acquire Porzingis for the regular season or even the early rounds of the playoffs. They’ve largely taken care of business on those fronts over the past few seasons. They traded for him knowing they would need him at this exact point in the schedule. Porzingis is a Celtic for the Finals, and fortunately, it looks like he will be back in time to participate as Boston seeks its 18th championship.
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