Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis Explains Severity Of His Knee Injury

Kristaps Porzingis came into Boston with the ability to raise the Celtics’ ceiling, but the concern always was the 28-year-old’s injury history.

Those concerns popped when Porzingis’ name was listed on the injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers for a “knee contusion.” Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid also are at risk of missing the marquee matchup, but it’s not the first time fans had concerns about Porzingis’ health, most notably when a foot issue came up during the FIBA World Cup.

However, Porzingis attempted to alleviate concerns heading into the matchup against the 76ers.

“I got it on the (Julius) Randle drive,” Porzingis told reporters, per MassLive. “Just got hit just like a contusion. Nothing too serious but it’s a bit stiff.”

Boston beat the New York Knicks on Monday, but the C’s center depth only goes as far as Al Horford and Luke Kornet, so Porzingis will be needed for the Celtics to reach their ceiling. It’s why the All-Star big could take a night off.

“That’s another thing, medical staff, they want to be smart about these things,” Porzingis said. “You know, we have to play the long game and know not to force something now, that’s not maybe as necessary. It’s most important that towards the end of the season, that’s when we need to be on and healthy and that’s what they’re making sure of. So I’m just, you know, following the orders.”

If Embiid were to sit out the second night of a back-to-back that would help alleviate concerns over Porzingis’ potential absence, but it’s clear that even 10 games into a season could affect things in a dramatic way in the NBA.