Celtics 'not sure' if Kristaps Porzingis will be ready for Game 1

Field Level Media|published: Wed 29th May, 14:07 2024

Apr 27, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) warms-up before game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis has "ramped it up" in workouts but coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday he's "not sure" if the 7-foot-2 forward will be ready for the NBA Finals opener.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be June 6 in Boston against either the Dallas Mavericks or Minnesota Timberwolves.

Porzingis has not played since straining his soleus muscle in Game 4 of a first-round series against the Miami Heat on April 29.

"I'm not sure. I don't know yet," Mazzulla said Wednesday in his weekly radio interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

"I do know he ramped it up on the court a little bit. Like I said, he's working really, really hard," Mazzulla added. "There's been a couple shootarounds where he hasn't done anything with the team but has been in a 1-on-1 setting kind of ramping it up with the intensity level of it. He's been getting better and better."

The Celtics are on a seven-game winning streak and have gone 9-1 overall since Porzingis was injured.

For his part, Porzingis sounded upbeat in a post to X, writing "see you in the finals," according to a translation from Latvian to English.

Paldies visiem, kuri atbalsta un jut lidzi visas sezonas garuma.
Pavisam driz jau bušu atpakal ierinda. Tiekamies finalos ?? un pectam arena ar savejiem ??????
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) May 29, 2024

Al Horford played a big role in the Eastern Conference finals and said he'll be ready to do anything the Celtics need if Porzingis isn't back in the fold.

Porzingis, 28, averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 57 starts during the regular season.

--Field Level Media