There was no doubt in Kristaps Porzingis’ mind on Monday morning.
Even though every step brought searing pain through his ankle, the 7-foot-2 center was going to step out on the parquet floor with a title on the line.
A “rare” ankle suffered in Game 2 of the NBA Finals put his availability for the rest of Boston’s title run in jeopardy, with Porzingis ruled out for Game 3 and not touching the court in Game 4 despite being cleared for game action.
But with a chance to clinch a championship at TD Garden within Boston’s grasp, Porzingis was ready to gut things out to help put his team over the top.