BOSTON – Kristaps Porzingis spent all day wondering, hoping, trying everything possible to get himself ready to play.
After suffering a rare lower leg injury late in Game 2, Porzingis, who missed Game 3, and dressed by didn’t play in Game 4, came off the bench in Game 5.
He wasn’t the dominating force from Game 1, where he put a charge into the proceedings with his return from a prior calf injury.
BetMGM BET UP TO $1,500! BONUS BET REFUND AFTER A LOSS
STATES: AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org. US Promotional Offers not available in New York.
But his effort, his contribution made a difference. He played just over 16 minutes, spelling Al Horford. He chipped in with 5 points in the 106-88 win, as the Celtics took down the Mavericks to claim Banner 18.
“Somehow I got it going for this game,” said Porzingis, who told ESPN the injury will require surgery. “A lot of it was for sure like the adrenaline from just playing at the Garden and playing in front of our fans and having that opportunity to close it out. And, man, I got it going.”
Porzingis said ever since joining the Celtics, his mindset was to help the team win a championship. That desire kept pushing him even after suffering a torn medial retinaculum, which caused a dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg.
The 7-foot-2 center had a sleeve on the leg and emerged with ice on the leg after halftime. He wasn’t especially mobile but just mobile enough.
“Once I got hurt, it was a heartbreaking moment for me. I didn’t want to accept the truth. It was like, no way it happened, right,” Porzingis said. “But, yeah, tonight was the night. I was like, listen, I’m going to give it everything I have. And, yeah, I’m just super happy to be a part of this and give something to the team, and I’m super thankful for the support I’ve gotten from the fans. And tonight the arena was electric. It’s been unbelievable playing in front of these fans.”
Porzingis came out onto the court to a thunderous roar. And when he first entered the game with 6:49 to go in the first quarter, the place erupted.
“The medical staff was, like, unbelievable support for me and got me back out there somehow,” Porzingis said. “And, man, I’m super thankful for them. And, yeah, I gave everything I could. I gave everything I could. And, man, it feels great to be a champion.”
Porzingis teammates are also super thankful for him, and what he went through to get back out on the floor.
“He’s just a great teammate, a great competitor. I was happy for him that he was able to go out there,” Derrick White said. “The crowd cheering him on like that just got him going. He’s 7-4 and can still do so many different things here. He’s special.”
Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis “worked his (expletive)” off to get into the deciding game as much as humanly possible.
“It just says — about the team, everyone is going to do whatever it takes to win,” Mazzulla said. “And even though he wasn’t a hundred percent, he said he wanted to play, and he knew he could give us something.”
Porzingis had averaged 16 point, five rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the first two games. His presence changed the dynamics of how the Mavericks could defend, given his shooting ability. Defensively, his ability to be a rim protector was so valuable.
Even with a tendon “out of place” and every step causing pain, Porzingis persevered.
Said Mazzulla: “I thought that the minutes he gave us were valuable. It speaks to who he is, and it speaks to the locker room.”
