Kristaps Porzingis Questionable for Game 5 of NBA Finals
usatsi_23547971
The Boston Celtics announced prior to Game 5 of the NBA Finals that center Kristaps Porzingis is currently listed as questionable.
The team confirmed via X that Porzingis is still dealing with a left posterior tibialis dislocation.
Porzingis played in both Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals after missing Boston's 10 previous games.
Porzingis had a stand-out performance in his return, scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds.
Porzingis did not appear in Boston's 122-84 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
What are the main takeaways from Boston's 122-84 loss in Game 4 of the NBA Finals?
Boston simply did not show up
It appeared as though the Celtics had put things into cruise control.
No one on the team scored more than 15 points, grabbed more than five rebounds, or made more than four assists.
Boston will likely be more energized when playing at home in Game 5.
Boston's dynamic duo did not look dynamic
Amid a massive argument on which is the better player, neither Jaylen Brown nor Jayson Tatum had a performance to remember in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
"The J's" combined for 25 points, Tatum led the team with 15 and Brown had 10, six rebounds, five assists and shot a combined 7-22 from the field.
The Celtics are a better team when these two are playing well together and that was not the case in this game.
The Mavericks played like a team desperate to not get swept
No team wants to get swept, particularly not in the NBA Finals, and Dallas is no exception.
With their backs against the wall, the Mavericks had five players record double-figures while shooting 50.5% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range as a team.
Dallas avoided the sweep but now has to return to a hostile Boston crowd at TD Garden.
Game 5
The Celtics will look to finish the job in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and ABC will carry the broadcast.