Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis to miss time with calf strain

The Boston Celtics are going to be without their star big man for a solid portion of their playoff run this spring.

Boston ruled Kristaps Porzingis out for Game 5 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday due to a right soleus strain. But the 7-foot-2 forward is expected to be sidelined for longer than just the Celtics’ potential clinching game in the first round.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that Porzingis is to miss a minimum of several games with a soleus strain, which is a calf injury. The Celtics have not offered up a concrete timetable for when Porzingis is expected to return to the hardwood.

Porzingis suffered the injury in the second quarter of Boston’s 102-88 win over Miami in Game 4 on Monday night. The 28-year-old center appeared to suffer a non-contact injury while trying to pass the ball to Jaylen Brown in the closing minutes of the first half. Porzingis immediately came up hobbling on the play, signaling to the bench to get taken out of the game with 2:27 left in the quarter. 

Porzingis offered up a positive update after Boston’s win at Kaseya Center via X, noting that he “will be good” moving forward. Even though a soleus strain may not put an early halt to his pursuit of a title with Boston, Porzingis is expected to be on the shelf for the Celtics’ next few playoff games. 

The soleus strain is the same injury that has kept Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo out this postseason so far, with the former MVP sidelined since April 9. 

Even though Boston should have the talent still in place to keep their pursuit of Banner 18 intact through at least the next round of postseason action, Porzingis’ size, spacing, and scoring touch both in the post and beyond the arc will be needed as the postseason carries into late May and June. 

“Probably the most important guy on our team for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Jayson Tatum told reporters of Porzingis after Boston’s Game 3 win in Miami. “No doubt in my mind that he was gonna have a better game and bounce back, just the way he started out the game on both ends of the floor being active. When he’s protecting the rim, contesting shots, we’re a whole different team.”