On Friday evening, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Finals with a chance to secure the franchise’s first championship in 16 years. However, the Celtics delivered their worst performance of the postseason, with head coach Joe Mazzulla pulling Tatum and the other starters before the third quarter ended. The deficit reached an astonishing 48 points at one stage.
As Game 5 approaches on Monday evening in Boston, the Celtics will have the advantage of playing in front of a supportive home crowd, offering them another opportunity to clinch the title.
A major storyline in this series has been the injury status of Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who was injured during Game 2 and missed both games in Dallas due to a rare lower leg injury.
On Sunday, Mazzulla provided an update on Porzingis’ condition, although it lacked specifics that fans were hoping for regarding the Latvian star’s availability for Game 5.
“He’s trying. He’s doing everything he can to put himself in position to be out there,” Mazzulla stated, according to Daniel Donabedian of ClutchPoints on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
It’s notable that Porzingis was listed as out before Game 3 but was available for Game 4. Despite suiting up, he did not see any playing time in the blowout loss.
Can the Celtics Close It Out on Monday?
The Celtics’ Game 4 performance in Dallas was disastrous. None of the starters performed well, and Jrue Holiday, typically reliable, committed five turnovers, which gave the Mavericks an unwarranted boost.
Conversely, the Mavericks played with the desperation of a team trying to avoid elimination, and their role players significantly stepped up compared to their previous three defeats.
The positive for the Celtics is that they still possess four of the six best players in the series, even without Porzingis. Additionally, the home-court advantage at TD Garden should provide a significant morale boost, despite some loyal fans being priced out by high ticket prices.
Game 5 is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 PM ET, with Boston aiming to seal the championship victory in front of their home crowd.
