During the Boston Celtics’ NBA second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, star player Kristaps Porzingis saw limited action. Throughout the series, he played over 20 minutes only once in a total of six games before the Knicks secured their victory over the Celtics with a decisive 119-81 win on Friday.
In the sixth game of the series, which took place on Friday, Porzingis was used as a substitute and participated for merely 11 minutes. During this time, he scored four points, grabbed five rebounds, and blocked one shot. He had previously missed eight games in March due to a viral illness. ESPN NBA expert Shams Charania reported last week that Porzingis was still experiencing lingering effects from the illness, including fluctuations in his energy levels and stamina over the past few months. Following the end of the Celtics’ season, Porzingis shared his struggles with the media.
“I tend to minimize it in my head,” he explained to the press after the game. “I keep telling myself, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’ But honestly, my body isn’t functioning optimally right now. There are many odd symptoms, and perhaps what I need most at this moment is simply to rest. I need to spend time in a sunny place to help my body balance itself out. But, it’s definitely a very challenging moment for me.”
After the fifth game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned that Porzingis “couldn’t breathe,” which was the reason he played only 12 minutes and did not appear in the second half of the game. The persisting side effects were evident in Game 6, as Porzingis played only briefly while the team attempted to push the series to a seventh game.
Now that the Celtics’ season has concluded, Porzingis is set to take a significant break to recover.
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