Celtics: Kristaps Porzingis suffered ‘rare’ injury in Game 2 of Finals that could sideline him again

DALLAS — Boston Celtics star center Kristaps Porzingis suffered a “rare” injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals that could sideline him again, the team announced Tuesday.

Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum, allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg, in the third quarter of Boston’s 105-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, Coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed during an afternoon news conference.

“After consultation with numerous specialists regarding this rare injury, his availability for upcoming games will be determined day-to-day,” a statement issued by the Celtics read.

Mazzulla added, “He’s doing anything and everything he can to be ready for the game tomorrow. It’s a serious injury...We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands because of the importance of him.”

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When asked after Game 2 how difficult it was to play through the injury, Porzingis told the media, “Not difficult at all...I’ll die out there if we need.”

The posterior tibialis tendon is a strong cord of tissue that connects the calf muscle to the bones in the arch of the foot.

Porzingis returned to the lineup in time for Game 1 of the Finals after being sidelined since leaving a game in Boston’s opening-round playoff series against the Miami Heat with a calf injury.

In Game 1, Porzingis provided a major scoring punch — 20 points in 21 minutes of action — that jumpstarted the Celtics’ blowout win over Dallas.

The Celtics are now looking to take a 3-0 series lead with a win on Wednesday night in Dallas.

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