Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis exited early in the Game 1 loss against the Knicks due to a lingering non-COVID illness. However, Porizginis is officially listed as probable for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks tonight and is expected to play tonight.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after Game 1 that Porzingis was day-to-day as his illness stemmed from lingering effects of an upper respiratory issue that kept him out for eight games in early March.
The question becomes – how effective will Porzingis be dealing with his illness? Find the latest Kristaps Porzingis projections for tonight’s game on the PrizePicks NBA board here.
Is Kristaps Porzingis Playing Today vs. Knicks?
All signs point to Porzingis being back on the floor tonight for the Celtics after he participated in the team’s morning shootaround on Wednesday.
With a lingering illness that has affected him since March, we should expect Porzingis’ condition to be closely monitored during the game.
His presence was sorely missed in Game 1, as the Knicks completed a 20-point comeback in the second half to defeat the Celtics, 108-105, in overtime. The Celtics offense relied heavily on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown down the stretch, both of which had tough shooting days, combining to shoot 14-of-43 (32.6%) from the floor, and 5-of-25 (20%) from 3-point range.
We’ll get official word on Porzingis closer to 7 p.m. ET tipoff and will update with the latest news here.
Kristaps Porzingis Projections Today
Porzingis went scoreless with four rebounds in Game 1 vs. the Knicks. Before the illness, the Celtics big man was averaging 27.4 minutes, 12.0 points, and 5.8 rebounds per game. Porzingis played 22 minutes or less in the final two games of the first round series vs. the Magic.
In two previous games vs. the Knicks this season, Porzingis averaged 24.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks.
Here are Porzingis’ stat projections tonight for Game 2, via the PrizePicks NBA board.
- 14.5 Points
- 5.5 Rebounds
- 3.5 Assists (Demon)
- 19.5 Pts+Rebs+Asts (Goblin)
- 0.5 Blocked Shots (Goblin)
- 5 FG Made
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