Inside The Celtics

The Latest on When Kristaps Porzingis Might Return in Conference Finals

Bobby Krivitsky

Nov 1, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) goes in for a dunk against the Indiana Pacers.
Nov 1, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) goes in for a dunk against the Indiana Pacers. / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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On Tuesday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics host the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

While they will not have starting center Kristaps Porzingis, Joe Mazzulla conveyed on Sunday that the former All-Star is in a good place mentally as he attacks his rehab. Jrue Holiday became the latest teammate to praise Porzingis for remaining engaged despite being inactive.

But the Latvian native's return to the lineup is inching closer. On ESPN's NBA Countdown, Adrian Wojnarowski reported, "I'm told that he is also going to miss Game 2 in Boston. But when this series returns to Indiana, I'm told that Porzingis could return as soon as Game 4 on Monday."

That will be 28 days from when Porzingis suffered a soleus strain in his right calf during the first half of the Celtics' Game 4 win over the Heat. 

According to Jeff Stotts, a certified athletic trainer and an injury analyst for SMART and Rotowire, the average time lost to a soleus strain is roughly 17 days, which loosely translates to six games.

Boston remains cautious about the seven-foot-three center's return, with him voicing a few days after his injury, "I'm doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible," before adding, "I'm understanding that the worst thing would be, probably, to reaggravate that." 

But Porzingis returning in Game 4 against the Pacers seems like a realistic target date for when he'll rejoin the Celtics' playoff run. 

Further Reading

Aaron Nesmith Left Lasting Impression with Celtics Before Finding a Home with Pacers

Trivializing Celtics' Success in Tatum-Brown Era a Take Not Measured Properly: 'Doing

Past Hardships Brought Out Best in Al Horford in Career Night: 'You Saw His Gift'

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Still Shaking Off Criticism While Growing as Leaders

Jrue Holiday Delivers 'Masterclass' in Game 3 Win vs. Cavs

Jayson Tatum Breaks Out of Scoring Slump That Never Defined Him: 'Underappreciated'

Derrick White Discusses Joining Elite Company in Game 1 Win vs. Cavaliers

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Target Date to Rejoin Celtics' Playoff Run: 'Doing Everything I Can'

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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