Report: Celtics star might have dodged catastrophic injury

A replay showed where, moments before Porzingis left the game, he appeared to aggravate his lower leg and was visibly limping afterward.

He called for himself to be removed from the game after he received the ball and took a couple of dribbles in Boston's halfcourt set.

Porzingis missed time earlier this season with a right knee contusion and later due to left calf tightness.

In 57 regular season games, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep.

He had an off-night in Boston's 111-101 Game 2 loss, going 1-of-9 and 0-of-4 from three. In the Celtics' two series wins, he shot 54.5 percent, including 53.8 percent from beyond the arc.

While initial reports are better than the team might have feared, Porzingis' availability for the rest of the postseason will be something to watch.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is dealing with a strained calf and hasn't played since April 9. In 2022, Mavericks guard Luka Doncic suffered a strained calf in Dallas' regular-season finale and missed the first three games of the team's first-round series against the Jazz.

If the initial reports are correct, the Celtics and Porzingis dodged the worst-case scenario. The problem is that the other outcome might not be much better.