Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis to miss Game 3 of NBA Finals with rare tendon injury
Porzingis will not play for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg.
DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis will not play for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg suffered in the previous game.
The Celtics announced about two hours before tipoff that Porzingis was out for the game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The 28-year-old Porzingis had missed 10 consecutive playoff games because of a right calf strain before returning for the start of the NBA Finals, and helped the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead against his former team. He jump-started the Celtics with 11 points and two blocks in the first quarter of their Game 1 win, then had 12 points in the game in which he got hurt.
Porzingis has said he felt something after bumping knees Sunday night with Dallas center Dereck Lively II but kept playing. He left the game in the final minute of the third quarter and played only about 3 1/2 minutes in the fourth.
The 7-foot-2 Latvian center has a tear in the tissue that holds tendons in place. The Celtics said it was unrelated to the calf strain he sustained in Game 4 of the first round against Miami on April 29.
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