Is Kristaps Porzingis playing tonight? Latest updates on Celtics star's leg injury for Game 5 of 2024 NBA Finals

Kyle Irving

Is Kristaps Porzingis playing tonight? Latest updates on Celtics star's leg injury for Game 5 of 2024 NBA Finals image

The Celtics are one win away from being crowned NBA champions.

Boston missed an opportunity to sweep the Mavericks in Game 4 but will return home with a chance to raise the Larry O'Brien trophy in its own building.

Injured star Kristaps Porzingis was made available for the blowout loss in Dallas, but the Celtics center never took the court. He was last seen in Game 2 of the NBA Finals before suffering a "rare" leg injury that has put his status in jeopardy for the remainder of the series.

Will Porzingis be made available — and actually play — in Game 5? The Sporting News has you covered with the latest updates below.

MORE: Expert medical analysis on Kristaps Porzingis' "rare" injury

Is Kristaps Porzingis playing tonight?

Porzingis has been upgraded to "available" for Game 5 on the Celtics' latest injury report.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla said he is "expecting to see [Porzingis] tonight" and that he is not on a minutes restriction.

Porzingis was made available for "short instances" for Game 4, but he never took the court.

Whether that was because of the lopsided score or because he wasn't truly ready to play is unknown.

He made a massive impact in the first two games of the NBA Finals to give Boston a 2-0 series lead, averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.

What time is Celtics vs. Mavericks today?

  • Date: Monday, June 17
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

The Celtics vs. Mavericks game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 17. Boston will host the game at the TD Garden.

What channel is Celtics vs. Mavericks?

  • Date: Monday, June 17
  • TV channel: ABC (U.S.) | TSN 1/3/4/5 (Canada)
  • Live stream: Sling

Mavericks vs. Celtics will air on ABC in the United States and TSN in Canada. U.S. viewers can also stream the game on Sling.

Sling is the home for sports fans, offering various channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams on channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1, and more.

NBA Finals schedule 2024

The Celtics can close out the 2024 NBA Finals with a home win at the TD Garden in Boston in Game 5. If necessary, the series will shift back to American Airlines Center in Dallas for Game 6.

(1) Celtics vs. (5) Mavericks — Boston leads series 3-1

DateGameTime (ET)TV/Live stream
June 6Celtics 107, Mavericks 89
June 9Celtics 105, Mavericks 98
June 12Celtics 106, Mavericks 99
June 14Mavericks 122, Celtics 84
June 17Game 58:30 p.m.ABC, Sling
June 20Game 6*8:30 p.m.ABC, Sling
June 23Game 7*8 p.m.ABC, Sling

*If necessary

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.