The Boston Celtics are cruising through the Eastern Conference playoffs while facing little friction from the opposition, and in the second round, they have had to do so without starting center Kristaps Porzingis, who is continuing to work his way back from a calf strain.
There haven’t been many updates on Porzingis so far, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has revealed what he has learned about his impending return.
Windhorst appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” today and shared that Porzingis was never going to play in this series against Cleveland and that he’d be “surprised if he’s ready to go for the start of the Conference Finals.”
"Kristaps Porzingis was never gonna play in this series against the Cavs..
I'd be surprised if he's ready to go for the start of the Conference Finals" ~ @WindhorstESPN #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4q4ayTKFUY
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 14, 2024
This isn’t much of a surprise, as with the Cleveland Cavaliers also missing their starting center in Jarrett Allen, Boston hasn’t looked to need Porzingis to make it through this series.
The Celtics have the luxury of taking their time with Porzingis, and Windhorst has questioned what the next round could look like against either the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers with veteran Al Horford looking like he is starting to wear down a bit after having to deal with Evan Mobley.
Boston took a commanding 3-1 lead in Game 4 last night with Donovan Mitchell missing the contest with a calf strain of his own, and if he is out for Game 5, Boston could be looking at a nice extended recovery window for Porzingis ahead of the Conference Finals.
The NBA playoffs are a marathon, not a sprint, and sometimes the healthiest team wins.
Boston is taking its time to ensure it has its center around for the long haul.
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