A right calf strain is anticipated to keep Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis out of at least the first two Eastern Conference Finals games, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

According to Wojnarowski, “barring any setbacks,” he might make a comeback later in the series.

Since sustaining the non-contact injury during Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series against the Miami Heat, Porziņģis has remained out.

Before the injury, he started three postseason games and averaged 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds.

According to Wojnarowski, Porziņģis is “ramping up his on-court activity” right now in an attempt to make a comeback during the conference finals.

Al Horford, a seasoned center who has played an average of roughly thirty minutes per night since Game 4 of the first round, will get extra playing time while PorziņĖis is out for an extended period of time.

Horford scored 22 points on Wednesday to lead the Boston Celtics to a series-clinching victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking his finest postseason performance to date.

A reserve big man, Luke Kornet scored eight points in twelve minutes during the Celtics’ victory in Game 5, and he’s probably going to see more action as the team tests the depth behind PorziŇģis at center.

In a three-team deal last summer, PorziņĿis arrived to the Celtics with a lengthy history of injuries. Following his complete season-long absence due to an ACL injury during the 2018–19 season, he has not participated in more than 65 games throughout a regular season.

The big man is still expected to play for the Celtics in the upcoming round, where he will likely face the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks.

With a road victory against the Pacers on Friday night in Game 6, the Knicks, who now lead their second-round series 3-2, might guarantee a trip to the conference finals.

The Celtics are probably praying that the Pacers win on Friday night and take the series to seven games, regardless of who they would prefer to play. That might provide Porziņģis with an extra day or two of recuperative time before to the start of the conference finals.