Kofi Inkoom
Update : Porzingis has a walking boot on his right foot as he leaves the arena, as per Gary Washburn of Boston Globe.
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, who suffered a right calf injury against the Miami Heat on Monday, will undergo imaging on Tuesday to assess the extent of the injury per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj also noted that it’s not an Achilles injury, which is a relief for the Celtics.
The injury occurred late in the second quarter while the Celtics were leading 47-31. Porzingis received a pass from Jaylen Brown in a halfcourt play but lost control of the ball while experiencing discomfort. He immediately signaled to be substituted out and began limping.
At halftime, the Celtics labeled him as doubtful due to tightness in his right calf. Wojnarowski mentioned during the third quarter that Porzingis is set to undergo imaging the next day, with early signs indicating no Achilles tendon damage.
Porzingis seemed to tweak something a couple of possessions earlier when he limped during a transition after a Celtics miss. Despite staying in the game momentarily, he eventually left the court with a limp, and Al Horford replaced him in the starting lineup for the second half.
The Celtics held a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series going into Monday’s game and were ahead 53-36 at halftime. Losing Porzingis for an extended period could be a significant setback for Boston.
Porzingis played a crucial role for the Celtics during the regular season, helping them achieve the NBA’s best record at 64-18 in his first season with the team. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc.