The Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz played each other on Monday. Regretfully, the Celtics have been unable to add big man Kristaps Porzingis to their roster. Due to illness, the Latvian center has missed six games in a row. Boston has managed to maintain a 4-1 record despite his absence.
In his 32 games with the Celtics, Porzingis has averaged 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. During the 2024–25 NBA season, his availability for the squad has been severely hampered by injuries. Tankathon says Boston has eighteen games left.
With a few games left, the Celtics need the 7-foot-2 center as the postseason approaches.
NBA News: Porzingis reveals what he’s going through
Porzingis is an important player for the Celtics, and not having him in the lineup prevents them from reaching their full potential. Especially on the defensive end, Boston’s frontcourt needs the presence of their rim protector.
Porzingis provided an update on his circumstances on X (previously Twitter) on Monday. He claims that he is suffering from an unidentified viral disease. He did, however, reassure his followers who are waiting for him to return that he is making an effort to recover.
“I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven’t been able to fully identify yet. I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full strenght to help this team. Thanks for support and Im hoping for a healthy return soon. 🙏💚” Porzingis posted.
Ahead of their game against the Jazz, head coach Joe Mazzulla gave a brief update regarding the big man.
“He’s getting close.” Porzingis said.
However, there is still no timetable for his return as the Celtics’ medical staff continue to make sure he’s 100% healthy.
LeBron James says the Lakers are not on the same level as the Boston Celtics
On Saturday, the Boston Celtics asserted their dominance against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 111-101 victory. The dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 71 points to lead the team past their longtime rivals.
After the game, LeBron James was asked if the Lakers could compete against the defending champions if they ever met in the NBA Finals.
“We can compete versus anyone in this league,” James said confidently.
While he has confidence in his team, he knows the Celtics are different than any other team in the league.
“We’re not where they are, that’s the defending champion, and they’ve been playing basketball together for a long time… They got a great chemistry and know what they wanna do. We made an acquisition late in the season that we’re still trying to build.”
In the East, the Celtics are still the favorite to make it to the Finals. The Lakers, however, have improved recently and are changing how experts view their potential this season.
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Follow me on X at @BarbecueBro, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics and @Gridir-onHeroics. You can also reach out to Reign Amurao via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
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.
