NBA Finals Game 3 live updates: Celtics look to take a 3-0 lead with Kristaps Porzingis out
Porzingis was ruled out shortly before Wednesday's Game 3 due to a rare injury he suffered in Game 3
The 2024 NBA Finals have shifted to Dallas for Game 3, where the Celtics will look to move one win away from an NBA title.
Kristaps Porzingis is out for Game 3. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
By Conor Roche
After Boston won the first two games at home, the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3. Follow here for the latest.
The 2024 NBA Finals are on their way to Dallas, Texas, as the Mavericks get set to host the Boston Celtics Wednesday night with urgency to ...
The Boston Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Finals game on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 (6/12/24) at American Airlines Center in ...
updated on June 12, 2024 | 7:39 PM
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Email
1
The 2024 NBA Finals have shifted to Dallas for Game 3, where the Celtics will look to move one win away from an NBA title.
Boston holds a 2-0 lead in the series. The Celtics won Game 1 in commanding fashion, defeating the Mavericks 107-89. Game 2 was a bit closer, with the Mavericks cutting the Celtics’ 14-point lead to five late in the fourth quarter. But Derrick White’s chase-down block of P.J. Washington sealed a 105-98 win.
While the Celtics are halfway to a title, they received bad news on the injury front. Kristaps Porzingis won’t be able to play on Wednesday due to a torn medial retinaculum in his left leg. The star big man returned from a calf injury to play in Game 1, scoring 20 points off the bench.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Porzingis had 12 points in 23 minutes off the bench in Game 2 and appeared to be in pain when he went to the bench in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of Porzingis’s status, the stakes for Game 3 remain the same. The Celtics can either get the bottles of champagne ready, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, or the Mavericks can move a win closer to evening the series.
Stick around for live updates throughout Wednesday’s Game 3.
FEATURED ON BOSTON.COMTracker
dslogo
NBA Finals Game 3 live updates: Celtics’ Kristaps…
Click here to refresh
7:20 p.m.: What Joe Mazzulla is showing the Celtics for motivation
The Celtics coach shared that he’s been showing his players UFC fights as a means to get the message clear that they still need to fight until the final whistle.
“The closer you think you are to beating someone, the closer you are to getting your [expletive] kicked,” Mazzulla said.
7:15 p.m.: Joe Mazzulla shares latest on Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis will remain day-to-day after being ruled out for Game 3, the Celtics coach told reporters. The Celtics previously said Porzingis would be day-to-day as well when they shared his rare injury on Tuesday, listing him as questionable at the time.
Mazzulla shared that Porzingis “did not look right” when he was evaluated earlier Wednesday.
“The medical team and the staff just decided that it wasn’t what was best for him [to play] today,” Mazzulla said.
6:45 p.m.: Kristaps Porzingis ruled out
The Celtics won’t have their star big for Game 3, being ruled out just under two hours before tip-off due to the torn medial retinaculum in his left leg. He missed 10 games prior to his return in Game 1, which was due to a soleus strain in his calf in his right leg.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Porzingis’s return seemed to provide the Celtics a jolt in Game 1, scoring 20 points. He had 12 points in Game 2, but appeared to be in pain when he checked out of the game.
The injury won’t change the Celtics’ starting lineup as they opted to bring Porzingis off the bench in Games 1 and 2. Al Horford has remained their big man, going 11-1 in the 12 games he’s started this offseason.
But Porzingis and Horford are the only two bigs who’ve played meaningful minutes for the Celtics tonight. So, one of Luke Kornet or Xavier Tillman Sr. will likely see increased playing time on Wednesday.
NBA Finals Game 3 live updates: Celtics look to take a 3-0 lead with Kristaps Porzingis out
Porzingis was ruled out shortly before Wednesday's Game 3 due to a rare injury he suffered in Game 3
The 2024 NBA Finals have shifted to Dallas for Game 3, where the Celtics will look to move one win away from an NBA title.
Kristaps Porzingis is out for Game 3. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
By Conor Roche
After Boston won the first two games at home, the series shifts to Dallas for Game 3. Follow here for the latest.
The 2024 NBA Finals are on their way to Dallas, Texas, as the Mavericks get set to host the Boston Celtics Wednesday night with urgency to ...
The Boston Celtics face the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Finals game on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 (6/12/24) at American Airlines Center in ...
updated on June 12, 2024 | 7:39 PM
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Email
1
The 2024 NBA Finals have shifted to Dallas for Game 3, where the Celtics will look to move one win away from an NBA title.
Boston holds a 2-0 lead in the series. The Celtics won Game 1 in commanding fashion, defeating the Mavericks 107-89. Game 2 was a bit closer, with the Mavericks cutting the Celtics’ 14-point lead to five late in the fourth quarter. But Derrick White’s chase-down block of P.J. Washington sealed a 105-98 win.
While the Celtics are halfway to a title, they received bad news on the injury front. Kristaps Porzingis won’t be able to play on Wednesday due to a torn medial retinaculum in his left leg. The star big man returned from a calf injury to play in Game 1, scoring 20 points off the bench.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Porzingis had 12 points in 23 minutes off the bench in Game 2 and appeared to be in pain when he went to the bench in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of Porzingis’s status, the stakes for Game 3 remain the same. The Celtics can either get the bottles of champagne ready, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, or the Mavericks can move a win closer to evening the series.
Stick around for live updates throughout Wednesday’s Game 3.
FEATURED ON BOSTON.COMTracker
dslogo
NBA Finals Game 3 live updates: Celtics’ Kristaps…
Click here to refresh
7:20 p.m.: What Joe Mazzulla is showing the Celtics for motivation
The Celtics coach shared that he’s been showing his players UFC fights as a means to get the message clear that they still need to fight until the final whistle.
“The closer you think you are to beating someone, the closer you are to getting your [expletive] kicked,” Mazzulla said.
7:15 p.m.: Joe Mazzulla shares latest on Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis will remain day-to-day after being ruled out for Game 3, the Celtics coach told reporters. The Celtics previously said Porzingis would be day-to-day as well when they shared his rare injury on Tuesday, listing him as questionable at the time.
Mazzulla shared that Porzingis “did not look right” when he was evaluated earlier Wednesday.
“The medical team and the staff just decided that it wasn’t what was best for him [to play] today,” Mazzulla said.
6:45 p.m.: Kristaps Porzingis ruled out
The Celtics won’t have their star big for Game 3, being ruled out just under two hours before tip-off due to the torn medial retinaculum in his left leg. He missed 10 games prior to his return in Game 1, which was due to a soleus strain in his calf in his right leg.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Porzingis’s return seemed to provide the Celtics a jolt in Game 1, scoring 20 points. He had 12 points in Game 2, but appeared to be in pain when he checked out of the game.
The injury won’t change the Celtics’ starting lineup as they opted to bring Porzingis off the bench in Games 1 and 2. Al Horford has remained their big man, going 11-1 in the 12 games he’s started this offseason.
But Porzingis and Horford are the only two bigs who’ve played meaningful minutes for the Celtics tonight. So, one of Luke Kornet or Xavier Tillman Sr. will likely see increased playing time on Wednesday.