Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Coming off bench in Game 1

Porzingis will come off the bench in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday.

Head coach Joe Mazulla said that Porzingis wasn't going to have any minutes restriction in Game 1, but the team opted to play it safe with his conditioning level, and he'll come off the bench. That decision makes sense given that Porzingis hasn't played since logging 14 minutes in the 102-88 win over the Heat on April 29 in Game 4 of the first-round series. For Game 1 of the Finals, Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup, though he's still expected to experience a downgrade in his minutes as Porzingis sees action off the bench.