The Celtics are home for Game 2 of the East semi-finals on Wednesday night vs. the Knicks. New York stole Game 1 from Boston 108-105 in OT. As a team, the Celtics went 15-60 from beyond the arc. Missing an NBA playoff record 45 threes.
In Game 1, Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis only played 13 minutes. He missed the second half with a non-COVID illness. Head coach Joe Mazzulla said it could be the same virus that Porzingis had earlier this season. Boston’s injury report has Kristaps Porzingis listed as probable for Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Kristaps Porzingis should be available for the Celtics in Game 2
Injury Report for tomorrow vs. New York:
Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) – DOUBTFUL Kristaps Porzingis (illness, non-Covid) – PROBABLE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 6, 2025
During the 2024-25 regular season, Kristaps Porzingis played in 42 of the Celtics’ 82 games. He missed the first 17 games of the season due to an ankle injury suffered in the NBA Finals. The 29-year-old needed offseason surgery to repair the tendon in his ankle. In late February, Kristaps Porzingis missed eight consecutive games with an upper respiratory illness. Porzingis returned in mid-March for Boston.
In his first five games back from the illness, the big man averaged 24.4 points and shot 59% from the field. Through six games in the 2025 playoffs, Porzinigs is averaging 10.0 points per contest. He is 2-17 from beyond the arc and is shooting 32% from the field. Joe Mazzulla believes Porzingis has still been battling the upper respiratory illness since he returned in mid-March. He noted how hard Porzingis has been working to fight through it.
However, Game 1 on Tuesday night was too much for him. The Celtics have Porzingis listed as probable in Game 2. Boston needs a win on Wednesday to even the series vs. New York. We’ll see if the Celtics monitor the minutes of Kristaps Porzingis in Game 2. The team has two capable big men who come off the bench. Al Horford played 34 minutes and Luke Kornet played 17 minutes in Game 1. How effective will Kristaps Porzingis be in Game 2 since he’s battling an illness?
