If Kristaps Porzingis plays at all for the rest of the Boston Celtics’ playoff series against the New York Knicks, the big man is reportedly unlikely to return to 100 percent health.
Boston fans are aware that if the team wants to dig out of their 2-0 semifinals deficit, they will need Kristaps Porzingis. However, over the first two games, he has tallied just 27 minutes on the floor due to an illness he just can’t seem to shake. On Friday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania offered an update on his health. And the news was not at all positive.
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“My understanding is he’s been dealing with lingering side effects from the virus that he had in March. It’s something that’s sapped his energy, drained him, and he’s had to rely on getting a lot more sleep over the last couple of months,” Charania reported on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“He’s had to take IVs, immune boosters, I’m told. He’s tried to find ways to mitigate it. They’ve run him through a battery of tests. And they have not been able to identify which virus this could be. To their understanding, it’s just been these lingering side effects.”
Kristaps Porzingis stats (2024-25): 19.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 41% 3PT
The one-time All-Star suited up in 42 games this past season. That was the lowest of a career that has seen many injuries. The hope late in the season was that he had fully overcome the sickness. However, its return and doctors not understanding which virus it is, is a huge problem.
Along with his scoring, the Boston Celtics could very much use the 7-foot-2 big man’s rim protection. And defense against Karl-Anthony Towns. Al Horford has struggled against the All-Star forward in this series.
