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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis is expected to miss at least the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals due to a right calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
He could return later in the series “barring any setbacks,” Wojnarowski reported.
Porziņģis has been sidelined since suffering the non-contact injury during Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series against the Miami Heat.
He averaged 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in three postseason starts prior to the injury.
Porziņģis is currently “ramping up his on-court activity” in the hopes of returning during the conference finals, Wojnarowski reported.
Until that return, Porziņģis’ extended absence will mean more minutes for veteran center Al Horford, who has averaged about 30 minutes per night since Game 4 of the first round.
Horford recorded his best performance of the postseason on Wednesday when he put up 22 points to lead the Celtics to a series-clinching Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Reserve big Luke Kornet, who contributed eight points in 12 minutes during the Game 5 win, is also likely to get more playing time as the Celtics test their center depth behind Porziņģis.
Porziņģis came to the Celtics in a three-team trade last summer already holding an extensive injury history. He has not played more than 65 games in a regular season since he was sidelined for the entire 2018-19 ACL campaign with an ACL injury.
The Celtics are still hopeful the big man will return to face either the New York Knicks or the Indiana Pacers in the next round.
The Knicks currently lead their second-round series 3-2 and could punch a ticket to the conference finals with a Friday night Game 6 road win over the Pacers.
Regardless of their preferred opponent, the Celtics are likely hoping the Pacers send the series to seven games with a Friday night victory. That could give Porziņģis a valuable day or two of additional recovery time before the conference finals tip off.
