Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.
Key NBA News to Watch
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Boston Celtics News
Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford
Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg during Game 2. Coach Mazzulla called it a serious injury, but the Celtics are treating Porzingis as day-to-day. The injury is reportedly unrelated to a strained right soleus that sidelined him for five weeks.
The Celtics have a team-best 90.7 Defensive Rating when Porzingis has been on the court in the first two games of the Finals, and he’s tied with Tatum, who has played all but nine minutes, with a team-high 25.5% usage rate. In the 10 playoff games Porzingis missed against the Eastern Conference, the Celtics recorded a 110.6 Defensive Rating with minutes funneled to Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman.
Porzingis added:
“Obviously I’m going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow.”
However, Mazzulla said the medical team will determine Porzingis’ fate for Game 3. The last time Porzingis played a game in Dallas as an opponent was in January 2018.
Dallas Mavericks News
Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford
How’s Doncic doing?
“I feel good. I don’t want to give any more details. But I feel good.”
On top of dealing with a sore left ankle and sprained right knee, Doncic recently suffered a thoracic contusion. Then it was reported that Doncic received a pain-killing injection before Game 2 to numb the area and is expected to receive another one before Game 3.
