Celtics Announce Kristaps Porzingis’ Status For Game 5

The Boston Celtics took a 3-1 series lead in their first-round playoff series versus the Miami Heat on Monday, and just about everything seemed to be going according to plan in their quest for an 18th NBA championship.

But they were hit with a piece of adversity when center Kristaps Porzingis suffered a non-contact injury, putting his status in some doubt moving forward.

Chris Haynes delivered some bad news for the Celtics and their fans on Tuesday afternoon: Porzingis has been diagnosed with a right soleus strain and will miss Game 5 on Wednesday.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (Right Soleus Strain) is out for Game 5 Wednesday night against the Miami Heat.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 30, 2024

In fact, the news is worse than that — per Adrian Wojnarowski, the big man is expected to miss at least several games as a result.

Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss a minimum of several games with the right soleus strain, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/9qW4iR04jO

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 30, 2024

Porzingis was part of a serious remodeling project the Celtics underwent last summer, when Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, and Grant Williams left while Porzingis and point guard Jrue Holiday came in through multiple trades.

It resulted in the team finishing with the best record in the NBA and being favored by many to win the world title.

In all likelihood, Boston will still get past Miami even without Porzingis, but without him, they could face a stiff challenge against either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic in the next round.

The Cavs have a young and productive frontline that includes Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, while Orlando has All-Star big man Paolo Banchero, last year’s Rookie of the Year.

Porzingis put up 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots per game in the regular season, but his numbers are down significantly in the series versus Miami.

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