Kristaps Porzingis says he plans to be ready for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis plans to be ready for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. His left calf is another problem.

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” the 7-footer said Tuesday. “I still have a few days left. I’ve put in a lot of work so far and done whatever it takes to get back in shape. …(Being available to play) is the plan right now. But again, it still takes a few days, and I think that can make a difference. Every day gives me a little more time to improve further. »

Porzingis has not appeared in a game since injuring his calf in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against Miami on April 29.

He called the rehabilitation process difficult, despite his team going 9-1 without him and sending Cleveland and Indiana to a Finals appearance with the Dallas Mavericks, a team for which he played from 2019 to 2022.

“It’s been a long process, I’m not going to lie,” Porzingis said. “But I tried to stay as committed as possible, be with the team, do my job and stay with the team.”

The Latvian big man increased his level of participation on the field last week, doing light 5-on-5 workouts with the team. But it was limited, with no real melee.

“So in that sense it hasn’t been perfect, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve tried to build as much as I can so far, in every aspect.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis was “on track” to be ready Thursday and said he wasn’t worried about his extended absence.

“Obviously you can’t simulate the intensity and speed of the game. It just comes with a little bit of repetition,” Mazzulla said. “KP is a great player. I think just because you’ve been away for a month doesn’t mean you have to relearn how to play basketball. He’s done a lot of great things during his career, he’s done a lot of great things for us this season on both ends of the pitch. … I expect him to pick up where he left off. But obviously there will be some rust. I’m just not worried because of the work he’s done.

When asked if he was able to run without calf pain, Porzingis paused briefly before answering, “Yes.”

“I have to feel confident. I don’t want to go there and think about something,” he said. “Once I get there, I have to fully concentrate on playing my best basketball and trying to help this team win. … I just try to be the best I can be in the given circumstances.

But he also expressed confidence that the training staff is sure he is ready to return.

“I did what was necessary to check the boxes. Of course, it is difficult to imitate the same intensity in training,” he said. “But I have to be sure everything will be okay.”

Porzingis said he was looking forward to facing the Mavericks.

“I’m happy for everyone in Dallas. There’s a lot of good relationships there, and I think they deserve to have the success they had this season,” Porzingis said.

In Dallas, Porzingis developed a good relationship with Mavericks star Luka Doncic. They just didn’t fit in as well on the field.

Porzingis declined to answer a question about why their duo hasn’t produced the success Doncic found alongside Kyrie Irving.

“It didn’t work,” Porzingis said. “I’m not even thinking about it right now. I am focused on the work at hand. And we can talk about that later.

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