Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has appeared in just 27 games this season, but has been productive with averages of 19.1 points and 7.0 rebounds. After appearing in eight-straight games for Boston, Porzingis missed Saturday night’s game against the New York Knicks.
Porzingis, who participated in pregame shootaround, looked ready to suit up but was ruled a late scratch (via Jay King of The Athletic).
Porzingis’ absence notwithstanding, the Celtics had no problems on Saturday as they cruised past the Knicks 131-104 at Madison Square Garden. It was a statement win for the defending champions against a potential playoff rival, following a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla detailed the reason for Porzingis’ absence, revealing the news that he had attempted to play, but was unable to do so.
“He was sick, wasn’t feeling well, he tried to play, but he just couldn’t do it,” Mazzulla said.
.@RealBobManning asked about KP's absence and the stay ready group's impact vs New York:
"That's the great thing about the locker room. These guys are always ready … it's just about the connectivity of the team when stuff like that happens."
Full Interview:… pic.twitter.com/MPb2TnEGdt
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 9, 2025
Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 40 points in the win, while Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Luke Kornet also registered double digits on the scoresheet. The Celtics also out-rebounded the Knicks 48-30 without Porzingis, led by Kornet’s 12 rebounds.
This win improved the Celtics to 37-16, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (42-10). While Porzingis appeared in just seven games last postseason, he played a key role when on the floor, helping the Celtics to an NBA-record 18th title in his first year in Boston.
Kristaps Porzingis returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact in the 2024 NBA Finals 💪☘️
12.3 PPG
58.3 FG%
1.7 BPG pic.twitter.com/pokTLmppk7— NBA (@NBA) June 19, 2024
Boston will need its big man to stay healthy to boost its chances of repeating as champions in June. The Celtics will hope to have him back in the lineup when they take on the Miami Heat on Monday night.
