Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis OUT for Game 5 vs. Heat with calf injury, expected to miss second round

Wednesday update: According to Chris Haynes, Porzingis will be out for the second round if the Celtics do advance past Miami.

Tuesday update: Porzingis has been ruled out for Game 5 due to a calf strain. This is a tough blow for the Celtics, who have found their form again after a surprising loss in Game 2. Boston can close out Miami Wednesday, which would probably give Porzingis a few extra days to recover. Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed a little over two weeks with a calf strain he suffered, so Porzingis could be sidelined for some time.

Update: It’s officially a calf injury for Porzingis, who has been deemed doubtful to return to Game 4. The Celtics have a significant lead at halftime of this game, so there’s little reason to risk further injury for Porzingis. Luke Kornet, Sam Hauser and Al Horford will feature in Boston’s frontcourt as a result of Porzingis’ injury. We’ll see if the big man will be ready for Game 5 in a potential close-out opportunity for the Celtics should they hold on to win Game 4.

Boston Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis was forced to exit Game 4 vs. the Miami Heat in their first-round series on Monday night due to a non-contact lower-body injury. He went to the locker room right before halftime with the Celtics up 53-36 and looking to go up 3-1 in the best-of-7 series. Porzingis appeared to injure his foot and had to go to the locker room. Here’s a look at the big man exiting the game:

If it is indeed a foot issue, Porzingis has a history of plantar fasciitis and a lengthy injury history overall. We’ll see if Porzingis can return for the third quarter. If not, the Celtics are cruising but this is still a big blow if that is the case. The Celtics would likely need to lean on C Al Horford for the rest of Game 4 and if Porzingis is indeed injured and has to miss time, Horford would likely end up in the starting lineup.

We’re not going to jump too far ahead here but knowing Porzingis’ injury history, we sort of have to in this case. If the Celtics are without Porzingis for Game 5 or long-term, this would have bigger implications for NBA Finals and championship futures the rest of the playoffs. We already know how the Milwaukee Bucks have fared without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

With the Bucks and potentially Philadelphia 76ers out of the East playoff picture, this could line up the New York Knicks and Celtics to meet in a potential East Finals. If Boston were to miss Porzingis due to this injury, the Knicks aren’t looking like a bad bet to make it out of the conference, assuming they don’t blow a 3-1 series lead over Philly.