Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Kristaps Porzingis is fit to play in Tuesday’s Game 5 clash with the Dallas Mavericks.
Mazzulla told reporters ahead of the game in Boston, where the Celtics are aiming to wrap up a record 18th NBA crown, that the Latvian forward was ready to suit up.
“He’s available. Expect to see him tonight,” Mazzulla said shortly before tip-off.
Porzingis has not played since suffering a lower leg injury in game two earlier in the best-of-seven series.
The 28-year-old only returned from a month-long injury layoff with a right calf strain at the start of the finals.
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Celtics hold off Mavs to take 3-0 lead | 02:41
Elsewhere, Dallas star Kyrie Irving is less concerned with silencing hostile Celtics fans than with quieting self doubt and leading the Mavs in a must-win NBA Finals game five.
“Let’s just call it what it is,” Irving said Monday as the Mavs prepared to try once again to fend off elimination in the championship series, in which they trail the Celtics 3-1.
“When the fans are cheering ‘Kyrie sucks’ they feel like they have a psychological edge, and that’s fair,’” said Irving, who was hounded by Celtics fans still rankled by his departure in 2019 after two seasons with the team.
Amid the jeers he delivered two sub-par performances in games one and two, the Mavs eventually falling 0-3 down before a blowout victory in game four to extend the series.
“Of course, if I’m not making shots or turning the ball over, that makes it even more of a pressing issue that they can stay on me for,” Irving said.
“I think in order to silence even the self-doubt, let alone the crowd doubt, but the self-doubt when you make or miss shots, that’s just as important as making sure I’m leading the team the right way and being human through this experience, too, and telling them how I feel.”
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