Why isn’t Kristaps Porzingis playing against the Pacers in Game 2 today?

The Boston Celtics remain most analysts favourites to secure the 2023-24 NBA Championships but were forced to survive a scare on Tuesday night as they needed overtime to squeeze past the Pacers in Game 1 at the TD Garden.

Jayson Tatum scored 36 points, including 10 in overtime after Jaylen Brown tied the game with a dramatic 3-pointer with just six seconds remaining on the regulation time clock as Boston went on to secure a hard-fought 133-128 victory.

“Welcome to the NBA playoffs. You’ve just got to manage your emotions. Anything can happen,” Brown said of his tying 3. “It’s not over until the final buzzer sounds. ... It’s not over until it’s over. We found a way to win the Game at the very end” with Tatum adding: “It doesn’t prove anything, we won a big-time Game and the series is far from over.”

Game 2 takes place in Beantown again on Thursday night before the series then heads to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4.

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Porzingis doubt

The Latvian international has been out of action for more than three weeks since he suffered a soleus strain in his right calf in the first half in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat.

Porzingis has missed the Celtics’ progression to the finals but the news coming from Boston is positive and there is hope that the 28-year-old will be back on court soon.

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Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla claimed late last week upon being asked about the Latvian’s current situation that: Porzingis was in a “great place” mentally. “He’s working hard every single day to make as fast a recovery as he can. So he’s there for everything and it can’t go underestimated how hard he works, trying to come back in a timely fashion”.