Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics’ big man, returned from a rare lower leg injury in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks to win his first championship ring. However, Porzingis is far from recovered and will need surgery, followed by a “few months” of recovery, according to ESPN.
“A lot of effort went into all of this, but also for myself, just being hurt and trying to push through it,” Porzingis said while celebrating in the locker room. “I believe today marked the pinnacle of that. My leg isn’t ideal, but I did everything I could for the team, and we won the world championship.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated before the game that Porzingis was further along in his recuperation than he was on Friday and will not be limited in minutes, despite not playing since being injured late in Game 2. Porzingis came off the bench on Monday, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes. Porzingis had a +5 box score, but it was evident that he was playing compromised.
Porzingis had a terrific first two games, averaging 16 points, five rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, and the team was +25 during his 44 minutes. His shooting ability enabled the Celtics to play their preferred five-out approach, putting the Mavericks in a tight defensive position. On the opposite end,
The 7-foot-2 Latvian missed the most of the Eastern Conference playoffs after straining his calf in Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series against the Miami Heat, but he did return for Game 1 of the Finals. Unfortunately for him and the Celtics, he was injured again late in Game 2 with a “torn medial retinaculum, allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon” in his left leg.
The Celtics took a 3-0 lead early in the series, thanks in large part to Porzingis’ efforts, and after recovering from a Game 4 setback, they won their first championship since 2008 and the 18th in franchise history.
