The Boston Celtics will be facing the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday evening. However, the Celtics may be without one of their key players, Kristaps Porzingis, who is currently listed as questionable due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation. Porzingis has missed the previous two games and if he doesn’t play, it would be his third consecutive absence.
Porzingis, who is in his first season with the Celtics, had an impressive performance during the regular season, averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. The Celtics finished as the first seed in the Eastern Conference with the best record in the NBA at 64-18.
Despite holding a 3-1 lead in the series, the Celtics are coming off a tough 122-84 loss in Game 4, where they struggled with their shooting and only managed to make 36.3% of their attempts. A win for the Celtics in Game 5 would secure their first NBA Championship since the 2008 season.
If the Mavericks manage to win Game 5, the series will head back to Dallas for Game 6. The Mavericks last won an NBA title in 2011 when Dirk Nowitzki led the team to victory.