NEW YORK (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis kept working to return, only to get knocked back again by a mysterious illness that sapped his strength.
He finally felt well enough to play again Saturday night, and his big finish showed why the Boston Celtics believe they are so much more dangerous with their man in the middle.
Porzingis scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter after missing the previous eight games, helping the Celtics hold on for a 115-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
“Honestly as the game went on I felt better and better,” Porzingis said. “Kind of had a little crash in the third, but pushed through it and I had a great fourth, and it was a close one but I’m happy we got it done.”
The 7-foot-3 center hadn't played since Feb. 26 in a loss at Detroit. His illness began with what he said was an upper respiratory infection that turned into something worse, perhaps bronchitis. He said testing never determined exactly what it was, though he was negative for mononucleosis.
“It was extremely, extremely frustrating just not knowing what I had,” Porzingis said.
He tried to come back for a showdown at home against the Lakers on March 8, pushing himself through a hard workout the day before.
“But then the crash I had was, like, historic the next day,” he said. “I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to shootaround.”
He tried again that night but realized his energy was still so low that he wouldn't help the team. A week later, he said he still didn't feel perfect but good enough to give it a go. Coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game Porzingis had a restriction of about 32 minutes, longer than Porzingis expected to play.
“Today I thought I was going to play like 20 minutes, but Joe told me mid-fourth, he was like, ‘I’m not going to take you out,’” Porzingis said. “So just bite down and let’s go.”
He ended up at 32 after playing the entire period, and had a three-point play and his only 3-pointer on consecutive possessions midway through the quarter that made it 100-92 after the Nets had cut a 21-point deficit to two.
Porzingis came in averaging 18.9 points but has been limited to just 33 games and Saturday was only his fourth game since the All-Star break. Mazzulla said the Latvian has remained optimistic even throughout his absences.
“When he’s able to play, he always plays,” Mazzulla said, “and when he’s not, he does the necessary steps, whether it’s in the weight room, on the court or in the training room to try to put himself in position to play.”
Derrick White (bruised left knee) and Al Horford (sprained left big toe) sat out Saturday on the second night of back-to-back games after the defending NBA champions won in Miami on Friday and clinched a playoff spot. The Celtics then lost Jaylen Brown in the second half to lower back spasms.
But having Porzingis back was good enough to pull them through.
“He’s been really, really sick, dealing with an illness, so just for him to get back and get his rhythm back is good for us, especially at this stretch before the playoffs,” guard Payton Pritchard said. “Get his legs under him.”
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Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press