In the Celtics 113-96 loss to the Magic, Orlando was able to bully ball Boston, turning an eight-point deficit into a blowout. And to add injury to insult, Kristaps Porzingis left the game midway through the third quarter and did not return.
Porzingis’ lower body injury history might cause the medical staff to air on the side of caution. In 2018, his All-Star season was cut short by an ACL tear. Two years later, he tore his meniscus as a Dallas Maverick. Most recently, he had to decline a chance to represent Latvia in the FIBA World Cup with a bout of plantar fasciitis over the summer.
The seven-footer insists that his two major injuries were contact-related and that’s unfortunately a part of the sport. In his first healthy season and his last in D.C., Porzingis played in 65 games for the Wizards and averaged 23 points and 8 rebounds in nearly 33 minutes per game.
After the game, Porzingis told The Globe that he doesn’t believe the calf strain is too serious, but the team will perform an MRI to rule out anything concerning after he felt a tweak. He finished the game with 9 points and 4 rebounds. The Celtics will be back at TD Garden for a Sunday matinee game against the Hawks, a must-win versus the Bulls on Tuesday if they want to advance in the In-Season Tournament, and then have three days off before facing Joel Embiid and 76ers on Friday night.
