On Friday night at the Amway Center, the Orlando Magic forced a Game 7 in their first-round series vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s welcome news for the Boston Celtics, who are temporarily without Kristaps Porzingis.
Given that the timetable to return from a mild soleus strain, the right calf injury the former All-Star suffered late in the first half of Boston’s Game 4 win over the Miami Heat, is two-to-three weeks, the most likely outcome is Porzingis doesn’t return until the Eastern Conference Finals, provided his team takes care of business against the Magic or Cavaliers.
“We’re treating it accordingly,” said Porzingis while discussing what the team’s medical staff has told him about his injury on Saturday at the Auerbach Center.
“I’m getting better every day. So, (I’m) in a good mood today and every day, I would say. But, of course, it sucks to be out and not be able to play with my guys, but doing what I can now to come back as soon as possible.”
The seven-foot-three center continued, “It’s something, it’s not nothing, you know? So, it will take a little bit of time for sure. But I’m doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible.
“But, I’m understanding that the worst thing would be, probably to reaggravate that. So, being smart. And you would have to ask the medical people about the specifics of it. I’m kind of just following the plan, but, yeah, hoping for a return as soon as I start to get better.”
As for what Porzingis can do right now?
“I’m not on the floor yet,” he conveyed. “But very soon, I expect to start doing stuff. Still in the weight room, still movement and slowly building up and all that and slowly building up. And I would say each day it’s a lot of progress. (It’s) Still very fresh, but making progress.”
The 28-year-old center suffered a similar injury in a loss to the Magic the day after Thanksgiving. However, time is a luxury no longer on his side.
“I think I missed a week and a bit, maybe,” Porzingis recalled on Saturday. “But we took it, like, way slow and very cautious. This time around, because of the part of the season that we’re in, it’s gonna be much more aggressive, I would say. But being smart, and day-by-day, week-by-week, and just seeing how I progress, and, yeah, hoping for quick, quick, quick.”
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