The Boston Celtics dominated the Eastern Conference 12-2 over the first three rounds and will get even stronger for the NBA Finals, with Kristaps Porzingis confirmed to return for Game 1 of the Finals. He confirmed the same to Maine-based ABC affiliate, WMTW Channel 8.
“I feel good. I feel good. I am making progress, and we will be ready to go,”
Porzingis also sent a message to his fans on social media, telling fans they will see him in the NBA Finals.
“Thank you to everyone who supports and sympathizes throughout the season. I’ll be back in line soon. See you in the finals and then in the arena with your own.” (Translated from Latvian)
Porzingis had an injury-riddled campaign with the Celtics, playing just 57 games over the season. This wasn’t his first absence over calf issues, missing seven games this season with left calf injuries. He’s been spotted wearing tape over the back of his left leg.
His other injuries were across a wide spectrum of issues, which included back issues, a sprained left ankle, right hamstring issues, inflammation issues, and contusions in his right knee.
This is a huge addition for the Celtics, as they will face either the Mavericks with a dangerous rotation of big men in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford or, if they complete a miraculous comeback, a twin-tower duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the Timberwolves.
The Latvian center averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks this season. He hasn’t played since April 29, so he’ll have extremely fresh legs. But the Celtics could be in trouble if his fresh legs result in rusty play which hurts the Celtics’ bid to win their 18th title.
The Celtics Are Favorites Heading Into The NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics walked over the Eastern Conference, losing just two games across three matchups where they beat the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers.
One major criticism of the Celtics’ run so far is the injuries each of their opponents sustained. All three teams saw their best player miss time in the series, with the Heat missing Jimmy Butler, the Cavaliers losing Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen mid-series, and the Pacers losing Tyrese Haliburton mid-series.
Despite the fortunate path, the Celtics proved to the world they were the best team in the league this season by a considerable margin. Their 64 wins were 14 more than the No. 2 seed in the East, while they have not even been pushed to six games in the postseason.
The Mavericks are massive favorites to be their opponents in the Finals, unless they blow a 3-0 Conference Finals lead to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They already failed to complete the sweep, so we can’t be too certain in saying the Wolves are definitely out of the running. Regardless, both teams will struggle against Boston’s varied two-way play.
The Celtics have the best net rating this season (11.6) while having the No. 1-ranked offense (123.2) and the No. 3-ranked defense (111.6). Their stats indicate that they are one of the most elite regular-season teams in modern history, so they will be expected to finish the job.
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