Shams: Celtics' Kristaps Porziņģis Could Play in NBA Finals G4 After Rare Leg Injury

The Boston Celtics are one win away from capturing the NBA title, and big man Kristaps Porziņģis may be on the floor to help them try to secure that victory Friday.

While Porziņģis missed Wednesday's Game 3 because of his left posterior tibialis dislocation, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported during a Thursday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show that he may be available for Game 4.

"The Celtics have not ruled out Kristaps Porziņģis yet," Charania reported. "I was told last night after the game that there is a chance that he plays in Game 4. He wants to play bad. He didn't want to sit Game 3."

Charania added that "the Celtics training staff, they're going to be the ones to give the green light or not."

The Celtics ultimately declared Porziņģis questionable for Game 4 on Thursday:

Charania's report comes one day after ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported ahead of Game 3 that Porziņģis might not play again in the series.

"There's real doubt about Kristaps Porziņģis, his availability the rest of this series," Wojnarowski said. "It was the Celtics' medical staff that ruled him out. They watched him go through some testing earlier today and just decided that they were not going to let him play despite the fact he wanted to push through and participate in Game 3."

For his part, Porziņģis told reporters Tuesday he felt "good" and wanted to play in Game 3.

Yet the medical staff overruled him and exercised caution with the rare injury.

As it has throughout the playoffs, Boston still found a way to win without him. It built a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter and survived a late push from the Dallas Mavericks for the 106-99 victory to seize a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Celtics also cruised through a second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers with one combined loss even though Porziņģis was sidelined with a separate calf injury.

They likely don't need him on the floor to finish the NBA Finals win over Dallas given the 3-0 cushion and their recent history of success even when he is injured, but it is understandable that Porziņģis would want to play.

This will be the first championship of his career, and he may have a chance to contribute in a potential closeout game after all.