The Boston Celtics got a big game from Derrick White and took a 102-88 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night.
But they immediately turned their attention to Kristaps Porzingis, who stopped with a non-contact calf injury in the second quarter and limped to the locker room. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Al Horford after halftime and did not return to the game.
With the win, the Celtics take a 3-1 lead in the series and will face a finale game in Boston on Wednesday. Porzingis’ status for this game and beyond was unclear Monday night.
The injury occurred late in the second quarter with Boston leading 47-31. Porzingis took a pass from Jaylen Brown in a half-court set, then lost control of the ball while coming up in apparent pain. He immediately raised his hand to remove himself from the game and began limping.
The Celtics listed him as questionable at halftime due to right calf tightness. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported during the third quarter, Porzingis is expected to undergo imaging Tuesday and early indications are that he did not suffer an Achilles tendon injury.
Porzingis appeared to change something two possessions before leaving the court. He limped into transition after a Celtics miss.
He stayed in the game only to limp off the field moments later. Al Horford took his place in the starting lineup in the second half. The injury is a potentially significant blow for Boston if Porzingis is forced to miss extended time.
Porzingis played a key role for the Celtics as they achieved the NBA’s best regular season record at 64-18 in his first season with Boston. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 37.5% from 3 in the regular season.
Derrick White leads the charge
With Porzingis sidelined and the Boston All-Stars struggling on the court, White took the offensive reins. He started strong with six 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a game-high 38 points along with four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
The point total was a playoff career high for White.
This story will be updated.
