Boston Celtics starting center Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t part of the starting lineup in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Due to the illness he was going through, the Latvian big man had to be on the bench to start the game. In his place was the 38-year-old big man Al Horford. The one-time champion played most of his minutes at center.
Without a defensive threat inside, the New York Knicks were able to go to Karl-Anthony Towns early in the game. Towns had four points and five rebounds, as he took advantage of the undersized Celtics starters. Fortunately for the defending champions, they built a 20-point lead.
However, that didn’t last long, and it led to their 91-90 defeat. The one-time All-Star, Porzingis, was disappointed in himself as he wasn’t able to spend plenty of time on the floor. The 7-foot-2 center played 13 minutes and had eight points and four rebounds.
After the game, he talked to the media and couldn’t hide his disappointment that he’s feeling ill during one of the most crucial parts of the year.
“I’m dealing with some — I don’t know how to call it,” Porzingis said. “But I’m just not feeling my best. Not feeling my best at all. It just kills me inside that it’s happening in this moment.
Kristaps Porzingis says he's "not feeling (his) best" as he deals with an illness:
"It just kills me inside that it's happening in this moment." pic.twitter.com/bDSYwrw3n1
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025
“To not be able to be with the guys. It’s not no injury or nothing, just not feeling my best. It’s tough for me to be honestly, but who cares? Nobody feels sorry for us… we have to keep going.”
Porzingis is a significant part of the Celtics in the postseason. His ability to stretch the defense on the offensive end has been effective. Defensively, he’s a dominant force who can reject close-range shots. Without him, the Knicks can continue to exploit Boston inside the paint.
Porzingis says the Boston Celtics have nothing to lose heading to Game 3
While losing back-to-back playoff games hurt, losing two games in a row while blowing a significant lead is a different story. That’s what happened to the Boston Celtics in Games 1 and 2, as they built a 20-point lead in both instances.
Now that they’re down 0-2, Porzingis said that they have nothing to lose.
“We were expected to win, so for us to be in this hole right now, with our backs against the wall, we have nothing to lose. We’ve got to go out there and leave it all out on the floor.”
"We were expected to win, so for us to be in this hole right now, with our backs against the wall, we have nothing to lose. We've got to go out there and leave it all out on the floor."
– Kristaps Porzingis pic.twitter.com/2hdP2CBlyv
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 8, 2025
Coming into the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Boston Celtics are the favorites to win and defeat the Knicks. However, they’ve had back-to-back collapses and are at a disadvantage heading into Game 3. Still, the defending champions aren’t worried about their season and are determined to lead the team to a win.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
