Kristaps Porzingis has missed the Boston Celtics‘ last seven games. On April 29, he suffered a right soleus strain when facing the Miami Heat. The veteran big man was forced to watch his team’s second-round playoff series from the sidelines, and he will miss the opening games of the Eastern Conference finals as he continues to recover.
According to Joe Mazzulla, Porzingis remains in a good mental space despite being forced out of the Celtics rotation and having to rehab an ill-timed injury. The Celtics head coach noted how Porzingis was working hard to get back onto the floor so that he could help his team make noise in the postseason.
“Great place,” Mazzulla said of Porzingis’ mental mindset. “He’s working hard every single day to make as fast as a recovery as he can. So he’s there for everything and it can’t go underestimated how hard he works, trying to come back in a timely fashion.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has since reported that Porzingis could potentially return for Game 4 of the Celtics’ current series against the Indiana Pacers. When he’s back on the floor, he will undoubtedly boost Boston’s overall defensive impact, especially when protecting the rim.
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Whenever Porzingis returns, he will significantly impact the Celtics’ chances of success. His remained locked in despite being out of the rotation should be encouraging for the fanbase.
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