Kristaps Porzingis is on track to rejoin the Celtics' playoff run in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. His return could swing the series and help complete the mission Boston acquired him to aid in accomplishing.
A few days after Kristaps Porzingis suffered the soleus strain in his right calf that has sidelined him for the Celtics' playoff run since Game 4 of their first-round series against the Heat, the seven-foot-three center sat in a chair overlooking the courts at the Auerbach Center, where he, "I'm doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible.
For a former All-Star who hasn't played in a postseason game past the first round, seeing the Celtics advance through the Eastern Conference side of the bracket, doing so efficiently, which helped buy him more time, was simultaneously exciting and grating, as he wanted nothing more than to be out there with his teammates.
"Especially, you want to be with the team. You want to help. You want to be a part . But just seeing how everybody steps up and everybody played up until this point is incredible, and shows that the work that we've been putting in all season long is paying off. But it's definitely tough. But there is no like -- who cares? Nobody cares. Just prepare myself, did what I need to do daily to get back, and that's it. We have this opportunity now, so go for it.
"I have to feel confident," he said. "I don't want to go out there and be thinking about something. Like, it doesn't matter. Once I'm out there, it has to be like full focus on trying to play the best basketball I can to help this team win. Obviously, as I've said, it's not ideal that I haven't had any real minutes, but I roll with the punches. And it is what it is. So, I'm just trying to be the best I can be with the given circumstances.
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