Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Will Celtics big man play in Game 1 of NBA Finals?

The 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks begin tonight. Can the Celtics cap off their postseason dominance with a championship? It will certainly be a daunting task going up against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and a very hot Mavericks team. However, the return of starting center Kristaps Porzingis would help the team out drastically.

Porzingis has been out of commission since Boston's first round matchup against the Miami Heat. While the team has not struggled in his absence, Porzingis' 20.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG are certainly not unwelcome. The Celtics have made it clear though that they do not want to rush Porzingis back before he is fully healthy, so is there still a chance he misses the start of the NBA Finals?

Here are the latest rumors surrounding the Celtics big man.

NBA News: Lakers targeting UConn's Dan Hurley to be next coach with 'major' contract offer

Celtics ready to welcome Porzingis back to the court

This tweet is as concrete evidence as anything. Porzingis is set to play Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks. Other reports have backed this up as well. The NBA itself has confirmed that Porzingis will suit up tonight, and the man himself said he was "feeling good" on Wednesday.

Will Porzingis be on a minutes limit?

There has been no report of any limitations on Porzingis' playtime. That said, even Porzingis is unsure if he will be at the top of his game in his first contest back after such a long hiatus.

At the very least, we should expect Porzingis to play heavily early on, and anticipate less playtime as the game goes on. Of course, if the Celtics are leading big late, the Celtics would be inclined to give Porzingis as much rest as possible. If they are trailing, perhaps we could see more of Porzingis in the second half.

Porzingis hasn't even confirmed that he feels like himself heading into Thursday's Game 1. On Wednesday, Porzingis was asked if he felt normal. Porzingis told reporters "It's tough to say, I haven't played."

What time is the NBA Finals?

Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden starts at 8:30 p.m. ET tonight. The game will air on ABC and will also be available for streaming on Sling TV and fubo TV.

NBA News: What LeBron James has said about Dan Hurley in the past

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtic star to play Game 1 vs. Dallas