Will Kristaps Porzingis be playing in Game 3 of the ongoing Celtics-Knicks playoff series? That was the burning question of the day up till the point that people started gathering at Madison Square Garden for the highly anticipated matchup. It was only back in Game 1 when the Latvian raised some concern after leaving the matchup with an illness. He didn’t return to Game 1, was listed as probable for Game 2 before finally playing 14 minutes on the court. Now, with his name removed from the Injury Report, the player is surely set to play in Game 3, right? Well, yes, but with a slight change.

According to Celtics reporter Noa Delzell, Al Horford is set to “remain” in the starting lineup. That is, in place of Kristaps Porzingis. This update comes after a previous report from Celtics CLNS reporter Bobby Manning revealed that Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser, and Jaylen Brown had received “a ton of treatment pregame during the open locker room period”. They were getting stretched out, with Brown receiving a ton of tape and support on both ankles. All of this indicated that Porzingis is still a long way from being healthy. Despite the absence of his name on the report. Therefore, he cannot be depended upon to take charge at a time when the Celtics desperately need a win.

Joe Mazzulla had earlier highlighted some optimism for the Latvian’s condition. When asked about the player, he said, “He’s gotten better. Felt better yesterday.” Despite this, he did not confirm, since he himself did not know at that point, whether Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis was starting. A few minutes before tip-off, ESPN’s Shams Charania spoke with Malika Andrews, revealing that “Sources close to Kristaps Porzingis told me he is still dealing with side effects”.

The 29-year-old has been dealing with this reported upper respiratory illness since March, and it led him to miss 8 games in that same month! As Charania further revealed, “it’s led to him having energy zaps in his stamina, having ebbs and flows over the last couple of months, and he felt that he had actually turned the corner right as the playoffs started in mid-April. But in his own words, he had a crash right before Game 1 of these series”. The insider also revealed that the player had tried a lot of different things to try to mitigate the side effects, including taking IVs, immune boosters, and even changing his sleeping pattern to get some more rest. Alas, from the look of things, his recovery wasn’t fast enough to allow him to start for Game 3.

This news already adds to the other worrying updates about the Boston Celtics. Sam Hauser was earlier declared ‘Doubtful’ for Game 3 after he had sustained a lower-body injury during Game 1 of the Celtics-Knicks series upon fouling Knicks forward OG Anunoby on a three-point attempt with 29 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. Later, he was diagnosed with a sprained right ankle. Hauser did not return in the remaining minutes of Game 1 and was also ruled out of Game 2. About an hour ago, ‘The Athletic’s Jay King reported his status for Game 3 to be ‘OUT’. Jaylen Brown himself is undergoing treatment. 2 starters, and the secondary small forward, dealing with such issues is not something Joe Mazzulla would want to hear as he hopes to prevent the New York Knicks from taking a 3-0 lead in the playoffs’ 2nd round.

The timing of these lingering complications from the illness could not have been worse. The star center knows this. He does not shy away from blaming himself despite the steps he is taking to recover quickly.

Kristaps Porzingis holds regret over illness timing amid low performance: “It just kills me”

Joe Mazzulla and Shams Charania weren’t the only ones who were providing updates about Kristaps Porzingis’ health. The player himself spoke in the aftermath of Game 2. Without going into too much detail, the Latvian said, “Yeah, I’m dealing with some — I don’t know how to call it, but just not feeling my best at all. It just kills me inside that it’s happening in this moment.”

Though Porzingis was still playing, it was apparent that the illness affected his overall on-court performance. The player was on the court for only 14 minutes during Game 2. It was less than half of his average minutes of the 2024-25 NBA season. Within that timespan, he recorded only 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 0 assists. It was still better than his performance in Game 1, where Porzingis went scoreless over 13 minutes. Even then, however, it wasn’t a high bar to be proud of.

“It’s a tough moment for me to not be able to be with guys,” Porzingis added. He revealed that he’s been “super appreciative” of the support he got, both inside the organization and from fans, while in recovery. “It’s not an injury or anything, but just not feeling my best. It’s tough for me, honestly, but who cares? Nobody feels sorry for us, sorry for me, and we have keep going.”

Kristaps Porzingis is an offensive force whose performance cannot be kept restricted due to an upper respiratory illness for long. While it is too hopeful, the player will need to get back on track before the Boston Celtics get eliminated. Whether that can happen or not is something that remains to be seen.