BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla stated that Kristaps Porzingis is feeling “just a little higher” after his second-quarter exit from Tuesday’s Recreation 1 loss to the Knicks.
Porzingis was listed as questionable to return with a non-COVID sickness after leaving halfway by way of the second quarter. Initially, in his media availability on Tuesday afternoon, Mazzulla stated he had “no thought” if Porzingis’s sickness was associated to the higher respiratory sickness that stored him out of 11 video games from Feb. 26 to March 15.
However, he later shared that since Porzingis returned to the lineup, he’s handled lingering signs.
“Since he got here again, he’s form of been coping with it — working by way of it, combating by way of it, doing the perfect he can,” Mazzulla stated. “And I feel it was simply an excessive amount of for him in that recreation. He had been working by way of it since he’s gotten again, and he’s completed an excellent job of being accessible. It was simply exhausting for him to proceed yesterday.”
In March, Kristaps Porzingis opened up about an unidentified sickness
Porzingis didn’t share a precise sickness analysis upon his return, which got here at a street recreation in Brooklyn, noting that the Celtics’ medical employees had bother determining precisely what was preserving him out of motion.
“For per week, [I was] actually simply laying at house, making an attempt to get well,” he stated on his return on March fifteenth. “After which after that, I nonetheless had lingering fatigue. And, I nonetheless have it just a little bit, however at the very least now, I’m entering into, kind of, form to have the ability to play. However yeah, after every exercise, I used to be — increase, large crash. So, I used to be actually, actually fatigued. Not regular.”
“It was extraordinarily, extraordinarily irritating not realizing what I had. I haven’t been this sick, in all probability ever, in my life.”
Porzingis finally turned to social media on March tenth to let followers know that the Celtics had not recognized the viral sickness he’s been coping with.
I’ve been coping with some viral sickness that we have not been capable of totally determine but. I’m recovering and getting higher. However nonetheless working my method again to full strenght to assist this workforce. Thanks for assist and Im hoping for a wholesome return quickly. pic.twitter.com/3HdJvdYRG3
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) March 11, 2025
“I used to be getting loads of questions. I noticed it on social media and stuff — individuals wish to know what’s occurring, why I’m out for therefore lengthy,” he stated. “Clearly, it was irritating for me — [I’m just] sickness (out), sickness (out). Like, ‘c’mon this man can’t play by way of some sickness?’ I’d suppose that. I simply wished to let individuals know that I used to be actually, like, coping with one thing. I’d by no means sit out for a cough or one thing.”
Porzingis struggled within the first spherical of the playoffs in opposition to the Magic, averaging 12 factors per recreation on 35.2% capturing.
