DALLAS — Kristaps Porzingis is back to where he’s both accustomed and uncomfortable — injured.
The Celtics center, the player responsible for swinging the series in Boston’s favor during that dominant first half of Game 1, was diagnosed with an ailment that covers a big chunk of the alphabet:
A left tibialis posterior dislocation due to torn medial retinaculum.
Good luck saying that five times fast (or just once).
The good news for Porzingis and Boston is this ankle injury apparently isn’t as bad as it sounds. Although coach Joe Mazzulla labeled it “a serious injury,” ESPN reported “there’s been no indication” Porzingis will be ruled out of Wednesday’s Game 3.
The 28-year-old said he’s committed to playing, with a caveat.
“Nothing is going to stop me unless I’m told I’m not allowed to play [by the doctors],” said Porzingis, who suffered the torn tendon after banging legs with Dallas center Dereck Lively II in Game 2. “That’s the only reason I would not be out there.
“I have to be [optimistic]. I will do everything I can to be out there [Wednesday]. Yeah, we’ll see.”
Mazzulla, meanwhile, was cryptic. It’s the NBA Finals. Nothing will be officially revealed before it has to be.
“It is out of [Porzingis’] hands,” the Celtics coach said. “It’s his job to fight like hell to put himself in the best possible position to feel as good as he can. We’re not going to let him compromise himself.
“That’s been it.”
How likely is it that Porzingis plays Game 3?
“I have no idea,” Mazzulla responded.
So we’re back to where we were before Game 1 — waiting on the availability and effectiveness of Porzingis. The difference this time is there is much more at stake for the opponent, the Mavericks, whose season is kaput with a defeat.
We all know the zero success rate of NBA teams in a 3-0 playoff hole. There’s no 2004 Yankees-Red Sox to fall back on. Lose on Wednesday and the Mavericks, the underdogs before the series began, will inevitably finish second.
“It’s a must-win for us,” said Mavericks guard Josh Green, providing Game 3 with the proper context. “We need to come out aggressive and deliver the first punch.”
Porzingis is obviously a key part of Game 3. He’s the icing on Boston’s layered and impressive cake. But the Celtics can still win without him. They’re just too deep, too talented from 1 thru 5. To survive, the Mavericks have to overcome their own issues.
Luka Doncic, for instance, is also battling multiple ailments. He’ll reportedly be injected with a painkiller before Game 3 — just like before Game 2. Kyrie Irving needs to raise his game about four levels after stinking up the joint in Boston. It wasn’t just his shooting that was horrendous, it was his decision-making with the ball. Perhaps the pressure of coming back to TD Garden was overwhelming. That would be his easiest solution for Game 3 in Dallas.
Irving acknowledged the personal struggles — “I haven’t played well or up to my standards” — and said he’s leaning on the experience of 2016, when Irving’s Cavs overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Warriors.
“I know what it takes,” he said.
Still, Irving’s follow-up was predictably confusing. With one sentence, he was referencing this great comeback in the context of the current-day Mavs. With the next, Irving sounded like he was accepting the Mavs weren’t quite ready for that moment.
“It took a lot of will to win in 2016. That’s also a different team,” Irving said. “We had time to fail together. We had time to go through our trials together. We lost in 2015 [in the Finals]. A lot of guys came back in 2016 and we won. So there was an inner motivation there. We also knew who we were going against [the Warriors], how well they played.
“I think if you have a healthy way or perspective of looking at where we are now, it feels like we are that team that’s gaining the experience, that’s being able to fail at this level. Now we have an opportunity to respond.”
The reality for the Mavericks is it’s either respond with a win or start worrying about next season.
For Porzingis, it’s the familiar position of trying to overcome an injury.
“I’ve been through some stuff in my career, and obviously this is a rough patch coming back [after a calf injury for Game 1] and having something happen right away again,” Porzingis said. “It’s tough. It’s very — just a tough moment right now.
“But I’m feeling pretty good. I’m feeling pretty good. Mind is good. We’ll see [Wednesday].”
