Mavs' Kristaps Porzingis has meniscus tear, ruled out against Clippers
The Dallas Mavericks announced on Friday that Kristaps Porzingis suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee and will not be available for the remainder of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Kristaps Porzingis has been receiving treatment for a lateral meniscus tear of his right knee, and further treatment options are being explored at this time,” the statement reads. “Porzingis suffered the injury in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs.
“Porzingis has not been medically cleared to play for the remainder of the Mavericks’ first-round series and will not be available.”
Porzingis missed last 2 games
Porzingis missed Games 4 and 5 of the series with what was then described as knee soreness. The Mavericks tied the series at 2-2 without Porzingis behind the heroics of Luka Doncic but struggled in a Game 5 loss.
The series resumes on Sunday with Game 6 as the Clippers can advance to the conference semifinals with a win.
Porzingis is a singular NBA talent and critical to the Mavericks’ chances at success. The 7-3 center averaged 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 35.2 percent from 3-point range this season, his first with the Mavericks.
Porzingis building a history of knee issues
He missed all of last season while recovering from an ACL tear in his left knee suffered in 2018 with the New York Knicks before arriving to the Mavericks via trade. The good news for Porzingis is that the meniscus tear is unrelated and in a different knee than his ACL tear. The bad news is that he’s a 25-year-old big man with a history of problems with both knees.
His right knee also bothered him during the regular season, forcing him to miss 10 games with what was also described then as knee soreness.
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