NBA: Kristaps Porzingis could be sidelined until December

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, center, raises his arm as he celebrates with teammates near the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the Celtics won the NBA championship with a Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

BOSTON  — Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will miss 5-6 months in the NBA after left ankle surgery.

The team said Thursday that Porzingis had surgery to fix a tear in the tissue that holds the ankle tendons in place. That will prevent the Latvian from competing with his home nation next month as it attempts to win one of the final four qualifying spots for the Paris Olympics.

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis injured his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next two games.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of OQT and Paris Olympics

He returned for Game 5, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes as the Celtics beat Dallas 106-88 to clinch their record 18th NBA championship. Porzingis averaged 20 points and seven rebounds in 57 games for the Celtics this season.

He signed a $60 million, two-year extension with Boston after they acquired him in a trade with Washington last summer.