Celtics Get Potentially Disastrous Kristaps Porzingis Injury Update

The roller coaster ride that has been Kristaps Porzingis's participation in the 2024 NBA Playoffs just took another drop.

The Boston Celtics announced through a press release on Tuesday afternoon that Porzingis suffered a torn media retinaculum in his left leg at 3:27 of the third quarter of Sunday night's Game 2, a 105-98 victory that put Boston up 2-0 in the series.

The injury, according to the press release, allowed dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in the left leg, the opposite leg in which he suffered an unrelated calf injury that kept him out of all of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Finals.

While the medical language will read like Greek to a non-doctor, there are several clues in this language that the prognosis is not great for the Boston big man, who thrilled the crowd with 18 points and three blocks in Game 1 in his return from more than a month away from the court.

The Celtics have had to consult numerous experts for what they are deeming a "rare" injury. Having to get numerous opinions insinuates that the first diagnosis was probably not what they wanted to hear.

Boston is typically pretty optimistic with their injury evaluations, at least to the press and the public. At this point in the series, day-to-day might be their way of playing mind games with Dallas.

Game 3 is set for Wednesday night in Dallas at 8:30 PM Eastern Time. With a win, the Celtics would be set up to play for their 18th NBA championship on Friday night.

With two games already in their back pocket and a roster that clearly outclasses that of the Mavericks, Boston shouldn't have any problem winning two of the next five games. But the implications for Porzingis's legacy, his mental state, and his future with the Celtics might hinge largely on what day-to-day ends up meaning.

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