All hands on deck for Banner 18.
As the Celtics look to complete the sweep of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and reclaim their spot as the franchise with the most championships in NBA history, they will do so at full strength, as Kristaps Porzingis, who missed Game 3 with a torn medial retinaculum, will be available for the Celtics in Game 4.
The big man did not address the media during the team’s media day on Thursday but was seen on the court at practice working on some light shooting and post work with assistant coaches Matt Reynolds and D. J. MacLeay.
“Yesterday was just a walk-through,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said at shootaround prior to Game 4. “He looked good.”
The Mavericks had few answers for Porzingis in Games 1 and 2, with the big man exploiting mismatches and punishing switches. Through the series’ first two games, he averaged 16.0 points on 60% shooting, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks off the bench. The Celtics are a plus-25 with Porzingis on the floor and a plus-2 without him in this series.
“We’re just so much of a better team when we have him, a 7-foot-4 unicorn, right? He’s as talented as they come,” Jayson Tatum said.
“He presents so many matchup problems on the offensive end. Then on the defensive end, somebody that can affect shots, protect the rim as well as he does. So, yes, we’ve had success and found ways to win without him. Obviously, we’re better when he’s on the team when he’s out there playing with us.”
Porzingis came out roughly three hours before the game and did some light work with assistant coaches for approximately 30 minutes. The team later declared him available.
“He’s not quite there, but we’re going to make him available,” Mazzulla said. “We’re only going to use him in very specific instances, if necessary.”
Al Horford will start at center for the Celtics.
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