Kristaps Porzingis will suit up for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, per Stadium and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Celtics’ big man figures to be a major factor in the upcoming series, able to provide several additional layers to Boston’s already potent offense. As of now, no limitation on Porzingis’ playing time has been reported, meaning he will likely slide back into the starting center role in place of Al Horford.
Porzingis sustained a calf injury in Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series against Miami that has kept him out since April 30. The Celtics only lost one game in his absence, tearing through the Eastern Conference on their way to their second NBA Finals in three years.
The timeline of Porzingis’ injury was murky ever since his injury, with the Celtics’ lackluster competition and breadth of offensive talent allowing them to play his status close to the chest. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski had previously reported that Porzingis may return for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, though the Celtics wound up not needing him to finish the sweep.
But finally, after much speculation, Porzingis will return to the Celtics lineup for the first time in 37 days. Reports trickled out earlier this week that he had begun ramping up in practice, and so Tuesday’s report indicates that the Celtics believe Porzingis is healthy enough to make an impact.
