Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has edged closer to full participatory practices and could be ready in a limited capacity for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at the TD Garden.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla commented on the advances Porzingis has made in the recovery process following team practice on Saturday morning at the Auerbach Center in Brighton.

“He did everything the team did (Saturday) and we will go significantly harder (Sunday),” said Mazzulla. “Today was moderate but he went through everything the team went through.

“He looks good doing basketball drills and he looks pretty good going through them.”

The 7-2, 240-pound pivotman has been on the shelf since suffering a right calf strain in Game 4 of the Celtics’ opening series against the Miami Heat.

The Celtics are a better team when Porzingis is on the court protecting the rim, running the floor, and opening up defenses with his three-point shot.

But the Celtics were able to dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games and sweep the Indiana Pacers with Porzingis on the bench in civilian clothing, so there was no need to rush him back into the fray.

Porzingis has stoically done his pine time while the Celtics thrived, something Mazzulla viewed with admiration. But the Mavericks represent a step up in the competition in the final series and the Celtics will need their all-purpose big man on the floor.

“He’s been the same and one of the great things about him is that he has been through so much in this league that he has a poise and a sentiment about him,” said Mazzulla. “He’s been the same throughout the series, his highs don’t get too high and his lows don’t get too low.

“He has great perspective, great understanding, and great experiences in his career. I think that’s been a gift for our team this year. I kind of enjoy how he has carried himself.”

The Celtics acquired Porzingis in a three-team deal on June 22, one of several team building maneuvers successfully orchestrated by Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. Porzingis played in 57 regular season games, averaging 29.6 minutes, 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Before going down in Game 4 against Miami, Porzingis had played a total of 105 minutes and averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in the playoffs.

“You use him effectively because he’s a great player,” said Mazzulla. “He’s done a lot of great things for us and just like any other guy, you go through what gives us the best chance to win this game, this series, these matchups, these coverages. That kind of goes down the line for everyone.

“When KP is at his best, he’s been tremendous for us and we expect that from him and we know he will give that to us. As far as everything else, it’s what goes into winning and what give us the best chance to win each particular game, each particular possession and each matchup.”

Kidd’s stuff

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd has spread his fingerprints all over the Mavericks’ program, according to Mazzulla.

By winning the Western Conference championship and advancing to the NBA Finals against Boston, Kidd has successfully paid back the team that selected him out of California with the second overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. The Mavericks paid back Kidd by tendering him a multi-year contract extension on May 6.

Kidd has an extensive history calling the shots for the Brooklyn Nets (2013-14), the Milwaukee Bucks (2014-18) and the last three seasons in Dallas, giving him a leg up in the coaches’ match-up in terms of floor management experience in the playoffs. Mazzulla said he has made Kidd’s Mavericks a case study during the Celtics’ run in the playoffs.

“He’s a great coach,” said Mazzulla. “They are one of the teams I have been studying a lot in late-game situations and the concepts that they do.

“It’s his ability to create situations for his role guys and put his best players in the best position to be successful. He’s done a great job.”

Guarded outlook

Celtics’ 6-4, 190-pound point guard Derrick White delights in playing the position and the challenges it presents on a nightly basis on both ends of the court.

“The fun thing about being a guard in the NBA now is that every night it’s somebody different,” said White. “This is what you want and it’s the NBA Finals so it is going to be a challenge and we have to be up for it.”

White will likely spend significant stretches of Game 1 locked up with Mavericks uber talented point guard Kyrie Irving, who has been lights out so far in the playoffs.

Irving has averaged 40.2 minutes in 17 postseason games with 22.8 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 boards per game. Irving scored 36 points in 40 minutes in the closeout game against the Timberwolves.

“He’s one of the best guards in the NBA so it is going to be a challenge,” said White. “I think with Kyrie’s creativity, it is going to be a challenge and it is going to be a lot of different guys thrown at him and a lot of different matchups.”