The Celtics have ruled out Kristaps Porzingis for Monday night’s game in Dallas with right knee inflammation. He is the only player on the injury report.
With Porzingis’ big man running mate Al Horford sitting yesterday’s win over the Houston Rockets, Porzingis was likely to miss tonight’s contest given that the Celtics have staggered the two on back-to-backs all season.
Porzingis did plenty of damage before his night off, notching a 32 point, 5 block performance to sink the Rockets on a night when nearly every Celtic struggled shooting the ball. One of the few bright spots, he buried six three-pointers on the way to an ugly win.
The Celtics have taken a cautious approach with their top six this year, with their 3.5-game stranglehold on the number one seed in the East enabling them to manage injuries more aggressively. Porzingis figures to be back for Thursday night’s battle with the Miami Heat, a nationally televised grudge match that is sure to annoy even the most mentally stable of Celtics fans.
Tonight’s game will also feature a pair of revenge games on Dallas’ end, with Grant Williams facing his former team for the first time since signing with the Mavericks this offseason. Kyrie Irving will also make an appearance, which always figures to be a fun matchup given his history with Boston.
