What Happened to Luke Kornet? 28YO Big Man Raises Concerns For Celtics in Game 2 vs Pacers

The Boston Celtics live dangerously amid their dominating playoff run. Luke Kornet, the second backup center of the side, could not return to Game 2 action. Heading into the Conference Finals clash against the Indiana Pacers, the team entered without their star center, Kristaps Porzingis, because of his calf injury. In his absence, Al Horford started the game, while ‘Green Kornet’ backed him up from the bench. But today, that plan was compromised.

Tonight, the 28-year-old Center injured his wrist during his 5-minute play in the first quarter. After that, he couldn’t return. The team further stated he was questionable for the remainder of the game because of a left wrist sprain.

Around the two-minute mark in the first quarter, Jayson Tatum made a bad pass to Kornet near the rim, causing an out-of-bounds turnover. The ball hit his left wrist before spilling out. Notably, he clocked out right after that play. In his 5-minute stay, Kornet recorded 2 rebounds and didn’t bother the points column with no field goal attempt.

Usually, the Celtics play only three from the bench i.e., Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Luke Kornet. However, in his possible absence, the team could use help from Neemias Quetta or Xavier Tillman for the remainder of the game.

Size has been a definite concern for the Celtics in this series. The Pacers have Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam on the frontcourt. The specialty about the Pacer’s big man duo is that they not only dominate the paint, but they also have good long-range shooting. This specific feature of the Pacers’ attack allowed their guards to move around enough space on the floor and get buckets. The absence of a backup center can turn into a costly business for the Celtics.

When will Kristaps Porzingis return?

During Game 4 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat, Porzingis sustained a non-contact calf injury. Following that, the 7 ‘2 tall center couldn’t get off the injury report. However, it didn’t affect the Celtics’ impressive in the postseason. Since his absence, the Celtics have maintained a 6-1 record.

Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics coach, drew a perfect plan with very little burden on Al Horford to carry on his shoulder. The veteran center, coming off the bench, played around 25 minutes and averaged 8.6 points per game. Meanwhile, Porzingis recorded 20.1 points per game in the regular season in his 30-minute game time.

However, coming into the starting lineup, the team didn’t demand much from Horford, as he has managed to average 9.4 points so far in the postseason with a high score of 22 points. So far, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have taken care of the offensive business, covering up for the injured center. But, at the same time, the team can’t won’t be able to go far in the postseason with the same intention.

The latest injury report stated that Porzingis could return to Game 4, which is scheduled at Indianapolis. With a 2-0 lead in the series, the Celtics are currently in a better position to handle these troubles. Do you think Porzingis’ return could further amp up the Celtics’ dominance? Let us know in the comments.