Celtics get good news on Kristaps Porzingis calf injury
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 19: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 19, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
The latest Kristaps Porzingis injury news is promising for the Boston Celtics.
According to top insider Adrian Wojnarowski, “there’s optimism” that Porzingis will return to the lineup this week, and “increasing confidence” he’ll be available for the Celtics in Las Vegas for the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament, should they advance.
The C’s do have an in-season tournament quarterfinal game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, which they will have to win on the road without Porzingis’ services. Porzingis has missed the last three games for the Celtics with a calf injury. The Celtics demolished the Pacers 155-104 when they last met on Nov. 1, so frankly, they should have no problem winning without Porzingis.
The oft-injured Porzingis will always cause unease for his given fanbase whenever he gets banged up in any way, shape, or form. But it indeed looks like the Celtics avoided a more serious problem with their starting center.
The latest Kristaps Porzingis injury news is promising for the Celtics. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Porzingis is averaging 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Celtics so far this season. A dip in his scoring was to be expected, as he’s become at best the third option. But what’s most encouraging is his improved efficiency. Porzingis is shooting at a 54.7 percent clip from the field through 15 games for Boston, which would be by far a career-high if sustained over a full season.
Scroll down below for a recap of the top highlights from the last time the Celtics blew out the Pacers.
WATCH: The Celtics' blowout of the Pacers in 155 seconds
There are blowouts and there are blowouts, but the Celtics blowout of the Indiana Pacers last night probably belongs in its own category.
In obliterating the Pacers, the Celtics posted the second-highest point total in franchise history behind only a 173-point outburst against the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958-59. As a team, the Celtics 56.8 overall, 57.1 percent from 3-point distance, 56.6 on 2-pointers and 96.4 percent from the free-throw line (27-of-28). The team finished with eight scorers and had only player who finished with 20 points or greater (Jayson Tatum, 30).
By quarter, the Celtics’ totaled 44, 31, 34 and 46 points. Their running totals through those checkpoints were 44, 75, 109 and 155.
So how good is this team? Obviously, it’s very good. We knew that coming into the season, though a Celtics blowout like last night’s tends to open eyes everywhere. But using games like this is a mistake for lots of reasons, not the list of which is the opponent on any given night. That hardly means the Pacers entirely stink, though they do 35-47 last season. Still, reaching 155 points in NBA requires the losing team to be complicit, and the Pacers played “defense” last night like they didn’t understand the concept of competitive team sports.
Anyway, there are a few significant takeaways from the first four games of this Celtics season, some of which we’ll touch on here.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.