Miami's Bam Adebayo won't have to contend with the Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis in tonight's Game 5 at TD Garden. (AP photo)

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has been ruled out of Boston’s potential series-clinching matchup against the Miami Heat with a strained right calf.

And he could be out longer. ESPN is reporting Porzingis is expected to miss “a minumum of several games” with the right soleus strain. It is the same injury that has sidelined Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks series vs. the Pacers.

Porzingis played only 14 minutes in Boston’s 102-88 Game 4 win at Miami, leaving in the second quarter and finishing with seven points and three rebounds.

Veteran Al Horford will likely replace Porzingis in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s Game 5, with support off the bench from Luke Kornet.

The Celtics lead the Heat 3-1. The Boston-Miami winner will meet the Cleveland-Orlando winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Asked after Game 4 how Porzingis’ potential absence could affect his team, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said nothing would change.

“Bringing the same mindset, intentionality, toughness, details to the next game regardless of who’s available,” Mazzulla said. “It doesn’t matter. There’s no difference between the regular season and the playoffs. And all year, we’ve had guys step in and play.”

JAQUEZ OUT FOR HEAT

Meanwhile, rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. did not travel with the Heat on Tuesday to Boston, ruled out with a strained right hip flexor. Jaquez Jr. joins Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck) on the list of Miami starters sidelined by injuries. The Heat have also been without guard Josh Richardson for months following shoulder surgery.

Jaquez Jr. left Game 4 against the Celtics — a 102-88 loss — on Monday night after suffering the injury in the second half. He had nine points in 22 minutes before departing, and tests on Tuesday showed the severity of the issue.

“Felt something give in the hip,” Jaquez said after Game 4. He said it happened early in the third quarter while jumping for a rebound and that he tried to play through the injury to no avail.

Jaquez — a likely All-Rookie team selection this season out of UCLA — has started all four games in the series, averaging 12.8 points. Only Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin have played more minutes for Miami in the matchup against the Celtics than Jaquez has.

The Heat haven’t been at full strength at any point in the series, one where Boston holds a 3-1 lead and can clinch a spot in the second round with a win on Wednesday. Butler and Rozier have not played in the series, and Heat guard Duncan Robinson — the team’s all-time leader in 3-pointers — is dealing with a back problem and has been limited to an average of about 10 minutes per game.

(Telegraph Staff Writer Tom King contributed to this report.)

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