Report: Celtics Center Kristaps Porzingis 'On Track' for NBA Finals Return

Bobby Krivitsky | May 30, 2024

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) turns on Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first quarter of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

A few days after suffering a soleus strain in his right calf in the first half of Game 4 of the Celtics' first-round series against the Heat, Kristaps Porzingis compared his current injury to one he dealt with during the regular season.

"This one is stronger," stated the seven-foot-three center while staring out at an unoccupied court at the Auerbach Center, reflecting on his recovery from a similar injury sustained in a loss to the Magic the day after Thanksgiving. "Worse, yeah. I didn't want to use that word, but yeah, it's a little bit worse, for sure."

While the worst thing Boston could do is rush the former All-Star's return, unlike the regular season, time is no longer a luxury on their side.

"We took it, like, way slow and very cautious," said Porzingis of the injury that cost him nearly two weeks before returning to help beat the Knicks on Dec. 8. "This time around, because of the part of the season that we're in, it's gonna be much more aggressive, I would say. But being smart and day-by-day, week-by-week, and just seeing how I progress."

Reports of the Latvian native potentially returning for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals sparked optimism that turned into concern about a setback in his recovery when he got declared inactive a day before the Celtics completed a sweep of the Pacers that propelled them to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.

However, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, "It has taken slightly longer than some initial internal projections, but league sources stressed this week that Porzingis has not suffered any setbacks and remains on track to be back during the Finals."

The next step is progressing from one-on-one drills with members of Boston's coaching staff, like D.J. MacLeay, to working five-on-five. When that happens and how his body responds to it will determine when Porzingis returns. But at least Celtics fans can take comfort in knowing he's on target to rejoin the lineup in the Finals, not October.

Further Reading

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