Why is Kristaps Porzingis not playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Looking at Celtics center's condition for Game 2 (May 9)

The Boston Celtics have listed center Kristaps Porzingis as out for the upcoming Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. The Celts lead the series 1-0.

Porzingis has been diagnosed with a right soleus strain suffered during the second quarter of Game 4 in Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat. He informed reporters on Saturday that his recovery is expected to be on a week-to-week basis:

“It’s something; it’s not nothing. So it will take a little bit of time, for sure. But I’m doing everything I can to speed it up because I want to be back out there as soon as possible.

"But also understanding the worst thing would be probably to re-aggravate that, so being smart about it.”

Given the duration of the NBA playoffs, with the conference finals starting no earlier than May 19 and the NBA Finals slated to begin on June 6, it's possible that Porzingis could return at full strength and rejoin the Celtics if they advance deep into the postseason.

Kristaps Porzingis, in his eighth NBA season, averages 19.7 points and 7.9 rebounds. He has played for the New York Knicks from 2015-2018, the Dallas Mavericks from 2019-2022, the Washington Wizards during the 2022-23 season, and now the Celtics.

Kristaps Porzingis missed the entire 2018-19 season because of an ACL injury. During his inaugural season with the Celtics, he recorded averages of 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds over 29.6 minutes per game across 57 starts. In his first four games of the postseason, he averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.

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Boston Celtics dominated Game 1 against Cleveland Cavaliers without Kristaps Porzingis

Boston dominated from beyond the arc in Game 1, consistent with their season-long performance, securing a substantial blowout victory. Jaylen Brown led the scoring with 32 points, while Derrick White contributed 25.

Jayson Tatum added 18 points in 34 minutes of play. The team made 18-of-46 3-point attempts. Holding a 15-point advantage at the start of the fourth quarter, they began the period with a 10-2 run. The lead became insurmountable for the Cavaliers, allowing the Boston starters to rest for most of the quarter.

Derrick White is setting records with his performance. His 28 3-pointers across a six-game stretch are the most in Celtics playoff history. Additionally, Boston has won its last 21 games where he has attempted at least 12 3-pointers.