Is Kristaps Porzingis playing tonight? Latest injury update for Celtics vs. Cavs, Game 1

Tonight, the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers begin their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup. Game 1 will air on TNT, with tip-off happening at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

Boston just eliminated the Miami Heat in the first round, beating their Eastern Conference rivals in five games. The Cavs, on the other hand, were forced to go the full seven games against the young, upstart Orlando Magic. Fortunately, though, they were able to pull through and advance to the second round.

The Celtics, being the top seed in the Eastern Conference, are the likely favorites in this series. However, they'll be without a key star in Game 1 tonight.

On today's NBA injury report, veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis is listed as out for Game 1.

Kristaps Porzingis is out for Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers

Porzingis is recovering from a strain in his right soleus, which will indeed keep him on the sidelines for Game 1.

This is not good news for the Celtics, especially after having plenty of rest following their series victory over the Heat. The Celtics having the seven-footer could give the Cavs a major advantage down in the paint tonight.

Porzingis averaged 20.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, and two assists this season. He also shot 51.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. Not only are the Celtics losing a big presence down low, but they also are going to be without one of their key weapons from beyond the arc.

As such, the Celtics are going to need big games from Al Horford and Luke Kornet as they try to control the Cavs on the interior.

Porzingis missed the end of the first-round series against the Heat, departing Game 4 due to his calf injury. It's likely that the veteran big man will also be out for the entire second-round series.

Still, Boston will likely be heavily favored to beat Cleveland and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. We'll see if they can overcome the absence of Porzingis and continue their march towards the NBA Finals.