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[Saba Sports News] Kristaps Porzingis has missed the last two NBA Finals games for the Boston Celtics, and it seems he might miss even more time.
Celtics big man Xavier Tillman, who has entered the rotation since Porzingis got hurt, spoke to reporters on Sunday, ahead of Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. When asked if he thought Porzingis would play again this series, Tillman offered some concerning comments.
“If he’s in excruciating pain where he can’t be his best, it may not be worth it for him to play,” said Tillman, according to Noa Dalzell of SB Nation. “When we go through our practices, he’s doing some stuff, but you can tell he’s very uncomfortable. We don’t want to put him in a situation that could really hurt him.”
Tillman noted there has been no improvement in Porzingis’ condition. Porzingis practiced lightly with the team on Sunday but did not speak to the media, and the Celtics provided no new updates.
Porzingis is dealing with a rare left leg injury suffered in Game 2. He missed Game 3 entirely and was active for Game 4 but did not play. Given his lengthy injury history and upcoming contract year, the odds are against him returning this series. Tillman’s comments, despite his decent bench minutes in the last two games, do not sound encouraging for Porzingis’ return.