According to Boston Celtics PR, Kristaps Porzingis is AVAILABLE to play in Game 2 vs. the New York Knicks. Porzingis exited Game 1 and was ruled as questionable to return due to a non-Covid illness. He did not end up coming back in the game. In addition, Sam Hauser, who was previously listed as doubtful, has been downgraded to OUT.
Porzingis initially left the game after getting subbed out in the second quarter. He was noticeably absent from the Celtics' bench for the remainder of the period. Though he returned to the court at half-time for a brief stint, he immediately returned to the locker room afterward. Al Horford started the third quarter in his place.
This isn't the first time Porzingis has dealt with an illness this season.
Kristaps Porzingis illness is connected to previous issue he dealt with
After Celtics practice on Tuesday afternoon, Joe Mazzulla noted that Porzingis has been dealing with the fallout of the illness he suffered through back in March. He said that he's been "working through it since he's gotten back."
Porzingis missed eight straight games from the end of February and into March due to an illness. He gave a statement about it on Twitter on March 10.
"I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven't been able to fully identify yet," Porzingis wrote on Twitter. "I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full strenght to help this team. Thanks for support and Im hoping for a healthy return soon. 🙏💚."
How does Kristaps Porzingis impact Knicks series?
In his limited minutes in Game 1, Porzingis struggled. He had four offensive rebounds, but two of them came on the same possession when he missed three straight shots around the rim. He finished the game 0-of-4 before he exited the contest due to illness.
However, Porzingis was an X-factor in matchups against the Knicks throughout the course of the regular season. His floor spacing puts a ton of pressure on New York's defense, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson as the two primary big men.
Towns and Robinson often play in drop coverage, as they don't want to take on Jayson Tatum (who primarily runs Boston's pick-and-rolls) in a one-on-one situation. This leaves Porzingis to take catch-and-shoot threes at the top of the key.
However, early in Game 1, the Knicks switched everything, which gave Tatum a chance to play one-on-one. In theory, this could also give Porzingis a post-ups against smaller defenders, thogh he's struggled mightily in that spot this postseason.
