This is not the summer finale Danilo Gallinari and the Boston Celtics had in mind ahead of the start of their two-year partnership in pursuit of Banner 18.

Pretty much the complete opposite, in fact, as there seems to be some concern that Gallinari suffered a potentially severe knee injury in Italy’s FIBA World Cup contest with Georgia.

SAITAMA, JAPAN – AUGUST 03: Danilo Gallinari #8 of Team Italy goes up for a shot against against France during the second half of a Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal game on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 03, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Aris Messinis – Pool/Getty Images)

The star of the Italian national team, Gallinari’s knee injury came Saturday and without contact (never a good sign) as the 34-year-old pivoted towards his right on a drive to the basket.

Gallinari immediately grabbed at his left leg, and was quickly approached by the Italian trainers.

Yeah, gotta say, that certainly didn’t look great.

Gallinari was off to a white-hot start prior to the injury, too, with 17 points (on 6-for-7 shooting) and four rebounds in 15 minutes of play in what was an eventual Italy win.

And the ‘worst case scenario’ fears appeared to be legitimate, with Italy head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco telling Cesare Milanti that the belief was that Gallinari tore his left cruciate ligaments. 

But the coach and the doctor are different people, of course. And fortunately for the Celtics, the latter likely has a better read on the situation, and potentially good news came with the Italy team doctor saying that he believed that Gallinari’s ACL remained intact despite the early exit.

That reporting was quickly backed up by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Or, in other news, there’s more to come on the medical front.

And the Celtics will have to hope that it’s indeed good.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 15: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at State Farm Arena. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Expected to be a second-team shooting threat for the C’s, Gallinari is coming off a 2021-22 campaign with Atlanta that included 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, along with a 43.4 field goal percentage, in 66 games for the Hawks.

The 6-foot-10 wing also comes to Boston with 48 games of playoff experience.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will begin training camp in the coming weeks.