**BOSTON** – Celtics centre Kristaps Porziņģis revealed that he might need imaging on his right leg after appearing to tweak it late in Boston's 105-98 victory over the Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night. Despite the scare, he expects to be on the court as the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3.
"It wasn't difficult at all," Porziņģis said when asked if it was tough to continue playing. "I'd give everything out there if needed, so I just kept going. But obviously, I was a little limited, so the smart thing was to get Al [Horford] back in there to close out the game."
Porziņģis, who missed over five weeks with a calf strain before returning in Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday, seemed to tweak the same leg late in the fourth quarter Sunday. He played a few more possessions before checking out with 4:40 remaining, giving way to Horford, and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game.
While on the bench, Porziņģis used a band to stretch his leg and showed no noticeable limp in the locker room. He mentioned that imaging is likely scheduled for Monday but expressed confidence that he'll be ready when the series resumes on Wednesday.
"I feel good," Porziņģis said while seated during his postgame media session in the locker room. "Something happened, but I have a couple of days to get ready, and believe me, we'll do everything we can to be back and moving."
Porziņģis had an impactful return to the court in Game 1, playing 20 minutes. In Game 2, he contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 23 minutes off the bench, finishing at plus-12 against his former team as the Celtics took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
If Porziņģis plays on Wednesday, it will mark his first appearance in Dallas against his former team since being traded to Washington in February 2022. The Celtics acquired Porziņģis last summer in a three-team trade, but injuries kept him from playing in Dallas over the past two seasons.
When asked about returning to Dallas in the NBA Finals, Porziņģis responded with a smile, "Yeah, honestly, it's a bit weird to make my initial return to Dallas in the NBA Finals. But it's going to be a regular game for us, for me. It just happens to be on a big stage. Dallas was my home. I love the city and the fans there."
However, those Dallas fans might not show much love for Porziņģis after he and the Celtics' defence stifled the Mavericks for a second consecutive game. Boston held Kyrie Irving to another poor performance, as he scored 16 points on 7-for-18 shooting, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Luka Dončić, despite finishing with 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 steals, was forced into 8 turnovers, while the rest of the Mavericks shot just 2-for-17 from 3-point range, making them 5-for-32 from distance across the first two games.
That Boston managed to achieve this defensive feat despite an off shooting night, finishing 10-for-39 from 3-point range, impressed Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. "Usually, when you have those empty possessions on the offensive end, your defence can suffer, but our guys stayed disciplined," Mazzulla said. "We were able to stay out of cross-matches and play the game on our terms."
Jrue Holiday's stellar performance also played a crucial role. Following his team-best plus-20 in Game 1, Holiday scored 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting, along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, a block, and no turnovers in 41 minutes. Holiday now has 38 points and no turnovers through two games in this series—the second-most points through two Finals games without a turnover since individual turnovers were tracked in 1977-78, second only to Michael Jordan in 1998.
When asked about the team's mindset as Boston aims for its record-setting 18th championship banner, Holiday emphasised the importance of staying focused. "Being up 2-0 means nothing," Holiday said. "The job's not done. We have to do whatever it takes."
The Celtics' dominant performances in the first two games have set the stage for an intense continuation of the series. With Game 3 in Dallas, the Mavericks will be looking to leverage their home-court advantage to turn the tide. The Mavericks vs Celtics showdown continues to capture the basketball world's attention, promising more thrilling moments as the Finals progress.
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