Kristaps Porzingis Rumors

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Pritchard, Tatum, Brown

March 15th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics didn’t provide many details about the viral illness that forced Kristaps Porzingis to miss the last eight games, and it turns out that even Porzingis wasn’t sure what he was dealing with, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

After returning for Saturday’s 115-113 win at Brooklyn, Porzingis told reporters it was “extremely frustrating” to not have a definite diagnosis. He described it as an upper respiratory condition that eventually morphed into possibly bronchitis or mononucleosis.

“But I haven’t been this sick for probably ever in my life,” he said. “So I was really, for a week really just laying at home trying to recover. And after that I had lingering fatigue — and I still have it a little bit — but at least I’m not getting into shape to be able to play. But after each workout I was, boom, big crash. I was really, really fatigued. Like, not normal. So, yeah, it’s taking a little bit longer, but I’m doing everything, all my bio-hacking stuff that I know, and just trying to get back in the best shape possible.”

Porzingis added that he tried to prepare for several games, including last Saturday’s meeting with the Lakers in Boston, but he would “crash” and quickly get drained of energy. He offered an explanation on social media to fans on Monday to help them understand his condition.

He was able to play 32 minutes tonight, finishing with 24 points, and remained on the court for nearly the entire fourth quarter. He’ll find out tomorrow if there are any lingering effects from the illness, but for now he’s happy to be able to contribute again.

“As the game went on, I felt better and better,” Porzingis said. “I kind of had a little crash in the third but I pushed through it and in the fourth had a great fourth. Yeah, it was a close one, but I’m happy we got it done.”

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Payton Pritchard has set an NBA record for the most three-pointers off the bench in a season, Bontemps adds. Pritchard, who hasn’t started a single game in 2024/25, sank five long-distance shots tonight, giving him 220 for the year and pushing him past Wayne Ellington.
Jayson Tatum played Friday and tonight, even though he was listed as questionable for both ends of the back-to-back due to knee issues, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston has been resting its regulars in preparation for the playoffs, but Tatum admitted he’s stubborn when it comes to sitting out games. “A lot of head-butting for sure,” he said. “I’ve always said that I’m still young, but I just turned 27, I understand the balance of being fresh and stuff, ready for hopefully a long playoff run. I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate, too. When I come in arenas, I see a lot of Tatum ‘0’ jerseys and kids with my shoes on. I understand they might be for their birthday or Christmas gift or whatever, and I try to stay ready and play as much and often as I can, and especially games on the road.”
Back spasms forced Jaylen Brown to leave tonight’s game midway through the third quarter, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Brown sat out Friday’s contest in Miami and was listed as questionable for today due to a right knee posterior impingement.

Kristaps Porzingis Returns From Viral Illness

March 15th, 2025 at 4:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis will return for Saturday’s game against Brooklyn after battling an illness for several weeks. Boston is listing Porzingis as available on its injury report (Twitter link).

This will be the first game action for Porzingis since February 26. He missed the past eight contests with a viral illness and provided details of his recovery process earlier this week.

Porzingis has only appeared in 32 games this season, so he’ll fall well short of the 65-game requirement to qualify for postseason awards. He was unavailable for the first few weeks while recovering from offseason surgery and didn’t make his season debut until November 25.

The Celtics have been careful with Porzingis’ health — keeping him out of back-to-back games — in an effort to make sure he’s injury-free heading into the playoffs. He has remained effective in his limited playing time, averaging 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per night while shooting 47.4% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are both dealing with knee issues, have also been upgraded to available. Al Horford and Derrick White will be inactive, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive, as the Celtics are playing for the second straight night after defeating Miami on Friday.

Injury Notes: Williams, Giddey, Porzingis, LeBron

March 12th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After suffering a hip strain in the second half of a victory over Denver on Monday, Thunder All-Star forward Jalen Williams was ruled out for Wednesday’s road contest against Boston, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). Aaron Wiggins drew the start in Williams’ absence

With their 118-112 win over Boston on Wednesday, the Thunder have ensured they’ll avoid the play-in tournament in the West, having clinched a top-six playoff spot, per the NBA (via Twitter).

According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), Williams didn’t travel with the Thunder as they embarked on a three-game road trip. Reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault indicated on Wednesday that the team has yet to determine a recovery timeline for the 6’5″ forward.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

Bulls guard Josh Giddey sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter of an eventual 121-103 win over Indiana on Monday. The 6’8″ pro, a restricted free agent this summer, was in a walking boot briefly to stabilize the ankle, but head coach Billy Donovan revealed that he is now out of the boot, per KC Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Although Giddey is recovering well, Donovan said that he expected him to “be out for a little bit.” Johnson tweets that the fourth-year guard is engaging in toe raises and walking, but has no return timeline until Chicago brass can gauge how he holds up in on-court workouts. Giddey indicated that he will travel with the team for its upcoming road trip, according to Johnson (via Twitter).
In the loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Celtics starting center Kristaps Porzingis sat out his seventh straight game due to a viral illness, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Porzingis was originally listed as questionable before being ruled out a couple hours prior to tip-off. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters pregame that he did not have a sense of when the 7’2″ big man would be available, with the postseason just a month away. 38-year-old veteran big man Al Horford started in Porzingis’ stead.
A medical recommendation prompted 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James to depart L.A.’s road trip and return home for further treatment on his groin strain, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN. Los Angeles will wrap up the road trip with games in Milwaukee and Denver on Thursday and Friday, respectively. James exited the Lakers’ Saturday loss to Boston in the fourth quarter, and reports have indicated that he’ll miss at least one or two weeks with the injury.

Injury Notes: J. Williams, Haliburton, Porzingis, Beal

March 11th, 2025 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

A Monday loss to Denver won’t hurt the Thunder in the standings at all, given that they still hold an 11-game lead on their Northwest rivals. But a loss that occurred in the second quarter of the game may be of greater concern for the Thunder — forward Jalen Williams sustained a right hip injury and was ruled out for the second half due to a hip strain, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

According to MacMahon, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t have any additional details on Williams’ injury after the game, simply telling reporters that the 23-year-old would be evaluated on Tuesday. Once that evaluation is completed, the team should have a better idea of how much time – if any – Williams will have to miss.

The 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams quickly emerged as a full-time starter and crucial contributor for the West’s top team. In 61 games this season, he’s averaging career highs of 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per contest.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton missed a third consecutive game on Monday due to a left hip flexor strain, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes. “Tyrese is not ready,” head coach Rick Carlisle said during his pregame media session. “He’s out. He’s getting closer, he’s just not there yet. Not sure where this is going to be (Tuesday for the home game against the Bucks) but today is not the day.” Indiana is now 0-4 without Haliburton available this season, so the team will be hoping his absence doesn’t last much longer.
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has now been out for six consecutive games and nearly two full weeks due to illness. He took to Twitter on Monday to explain his lengthy layoff. “I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven’t been able to fully identify yet,” Porzingis wrote. “I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full strength to help this team. Thanks for support and I’m hoping for a healthy return soon.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal was held out of the second end of a back-to-back set on Monday as the team continues to manage his calf, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Beal missed five games in November with a left calf strain and two more in late February with left calf tightness. The club will continue to keep an eye on that issue going forward, Rankin adds, so it’s possible the veteran will continue to miss the occasional game down the stretch.

Atlantic Notes: Tucker, Tatum, Horford, Porzingis, George, Lawson

March 10th, 2025 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

P.J. Tucker, who signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks, said he had multiple options after Toronto waived him late last month. Knicks top executive Leon Rose had been Tucker’s agent earlier in his career.

“There were a few [options]. That was the thing — just trying to pick the right place,” Tucker told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post and other media members on Monday. “I always felt like the Knicks were my first option throughout the whole process, so I was happy to wait it out and be able to make that happen.”

Tucker signed the short-term deal with an understanding that he’ll stick around for the remainder of the season and playoffs if all goes according to plan, Bondy writes. Tucker had been sitting out the season with the Clippers until he was dealt twice before the trade deadline.

“It felt like I just got drafted again,” he said. “It’s like a whole new fresh energy, especially coming from home. It’s different. Trust me, it’s different.”

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The Celtics played without three key players against the Jazz on Monday, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes. Jayson Tatum (knee) was downgraded from questionable to out. Al Horford (toe) was also downgraded to out and Kristaps Porzingis remained sidelined for the sixth consecutive game due to illness. Despite their injury designations, the absences of Tatum and Horford could simply be due to rest — Tatum played a season-high 45 minutes in Boston’s win over the Lakers on Saturday night, while Horford totaled 37 minutes.
Sixers forward Paul George (left groin soreness) did not play Monday at Atlanta and won’t play Wednesday at Toronto, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George will be reevaluated prior to Friday’s game vs. Indiana. He has missed 23 games, counting Monday’s contest, in his first season with Philadelphia.
Ontario native A.J. Lawson got a chance to start for the injury-riddled Raptors in their home game against Utah on Friday and it was special to him. “It means everything (to start at home),” Lawson told Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “My parents got to see, my fam, friends, loved ones. It’s amazing. If I checked my phone right now, they’re probably all sending me snaps and videos, I’m super happy about it. I was trying to be serious, too, but I couldn’t hold it in, I had to smile. That’s my personality, I’m a positive, happy person.” Lawson also started the home game against Washington the following night.

Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh

March 6th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Rory Maher

Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).

Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.

The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.

Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.

Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.

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Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”

Celtics Notes: Brown, Tatum, Hauser, Porzingis, Holiday

March 1st, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 83 points on 61 shots in Friday’s loss to Cleveland, but Brown thought they should have shot even more considering the circumstances, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Celtics were missing Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday due to injuries, limiting their options on offense. Still, the Cavaliers rarely threw double teams at Brown or Tatum.

“They don’t want to help,” Brown said. “They were trying to take away our spacing and our shooting, so they were just staying home on us instead of trying to make us make the reads and pass. So that means we’ve got to dominate every time down the floor. I feel like I let them off the hook maybe a few times where I could have used some shot fakes, some possessions I definitely would have back. But for the most part, we were aggressive, and that was key for us.

“But different games, we’ll see different game plans each and every night. Sometimes they blitz, sometimes they (double team), sometimes they do different things. When I had the ball or when Jayson had the ball tonight, they for the most part stayed home. We’ve got to make them pay.”

Tatum’s 37 shots were five more than his previous high for a regulation game. Himmelsbach speculates that so much shooting may have tired out Tatum, who missed all four of his three-point attempts in the second half.

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The Cavs targeted Sam Hauser on defense, frequently forcing him to try to stay in front of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, Himmelsbach adds. Cleveland was 12-of-26 during the game with Hauser as the primary defender, and coach Joe Mazzulla was happy with how he responded to the challenge. “(Hauser) has been a great defender in the league for the last two or three years and earned a reputation for that,” Mazzulla said, “and so the confidence comes from having him in the game, being able to defend.”
Porzingis and Holiday are both listed as doubtful for Sunday afternoon’s game against Denver, according to Brian Robb of MassLive. Porzingis is sidelined with a non-COVID illness, while Holiday is dealing with a mallet finger injury on his right hand that he suffered in Wednesday’s game. Both players are considered day-to-day. Brown, who sat out Wednesday due to thigh soreness, is questionable due to pain in his right knee. Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and Jordan Walsh all practiced today with the Maine Celtics in anticipation of playing on Sunday, Robb adds.
One of the few disappointments for the Celtics in the past two years is the failure of their developmental prospects to earn rotation minutes, Robb states in a mailbag column. He notes that as the roster gets more expensive, Walsh, Drew Peterson, Baylor Scheierman and JD Davison will eventually have to be replaced if they can’t make greater contributions.

Celtics Notes: Craig, Springer, Stevens, Porzingis, Holiday

February 8th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Torrey Craig chose to sign with the Celtics because they’ll give him a chance to compete for a title, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. The 34-year-old forward became a free agent when Chicago needed to trim two players off its roster to complete a three-team trade this week. He wasn’t on the open market very long before reaching an agreement with Boston that became official this morning.

“As a competitor in the league, you always want to play for something and compete for something,” Craig said. “I’m a super competitor and I want to play basketball the right way at the highest level. Just to get an opportunity to come play with these guys was like a no-brainer.”

Craig, who has been out of action since December 30 with a sprained right ankle, told Terada that he’s feeling good, but he’s taking his return day by day. He’s trying to learn all he can about how the Celtics operate, and that process started with a quick tour of the facilities on Friday before accompanying the team on a flight for tonight’s game at New York.

Craig knows he may not have a large role with the defending champs, but he provides veteran wing depth and gives them another capable three-point shooter.

“They’re a deep team, super talented,” he said. “Well-coached, well-disciplined. They play the right way. They know what it takes to win playing defense. Playing together and having each other’s backs. You can just see it. The team chemistry and they allow each other to feed off each other and play together and I think that’s why they’ve been so dominant these past couple years.”

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Players were sad to lose Jaden Springer, who was traded to Houston on Thursday in a cost-cutting move, Terada adds in a separate story. The Rockets have already waived Springer, so he’ll be searching for his next job as a free agent. “Obviously, we’re gonna miss him,” Payton Pritchard said. “Jaden’s an unbelievable person. We loved him as a teammate. But hopefully he gets his opportunity and he can showcase what he’s capable of doing in this league. He’s an unbelievable player, unbelievable defender. I think there’s definitely a place for him in this league.”
The Celtics were otherwise quiet at the deadline, which is a combination of the restrictions they face as a second-apron team and the faith that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has in the current roster, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn reveals that Boston had interest in Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, who was dealt to Cleveland, but wasn’t willing to part with Derrick White and draft assets to get involved in the bidding. “In our situation with our team this year, today was boring as hell,” Stevens said after the deadline. “It wasn’t going to be anything going and the phones didn’t ring. We had already had any discussions that we were going to have. We weren’t just going to do anything major because at the end of the day, even through our ups and downs through the last six weeks, what gives us our best chance to win is this group playing a little bit more like itself more of the time.”
Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch for tonight’s game due to an illness, Terada tweets. Boston is also without Jrue Holiday, who’s missing his second straight contest with a bruised shoulder.

Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Tucker, Trade Deadline, Pritchard

February 1st, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

With everybody healthy for Friday’s game against New Orleans, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tinkered with his closing lineup, according to to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla rotated his centers in the final minutes of the two-point victory, using Kristaps Porzingis when Boston had the ball and Al Horford when the team was on defense.

“Just different looks,” Mazzulla explained. “We need to play different ways, different coverages. Give them different ones. We just needed to change the matchup and give them a different coverage, looking to take away the three and so just kind of do that.”

Terada notes that Porzingis played well defensively, collecting three steals and four blocks. However, Mazzulla opted to use Horford in key defensive possessions because he’s more effective in closing out on perimeter shooters.

“For me, nothing changed,” Porzingis said. “We trust Al and he comes in for defense and when my name gets called, I’m always ready. Nothing changed.”

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P.J. Tucker could wind up being an option on the buyout market after today’s Clippers-Jazz trade, Terada suggests in a separate story. Tucker hasn’t played yet this season, but he’s a tough defender with a lot of playoff experience. As a second apron team, the Celtics are limited in the buyout candidates they can pursue, but they’re eligible to sign Tucker because his $11.5MM salary is below the $12.8MM mid-level exception. Boston has kept a roster spot open since the start of the season.
In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive puts the chances of a Celtics trade by the deadline at 95%. Robb says it’s possible the team could move Jaden Springer to reduce its luxury tax bill, even though he’s been an important contributor lately. Beyond that, Robb sees a need to upgrade from Springer, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman on the wing, as well as Xavier Tillman in the frontcourt.
Payton Pritchard has become famous for his success on long-distance shots at the end of quarters, but he’s proving there’s a lot more to his game than that, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Holmes examines how Pritchard has been able to work his way up from a little-used reserve to become a point of emphasis for opposing coaches on a team filled with stars. “Every day, I’m trying to prove that I can still reach another level,” he said. “I can still show people what I’m trying to become. That’s why I’m always challenging the best that we have — like Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). I’m trying to become as good as them one day. That’s why I challenge them. I’m trying to keep taking steps to better myself, which, at the end of the day, is only going to better our team.”

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Irving, Hart, George

January 26th, 2025 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Winning a championship last season has affected the Celtics’ killer instinct, center Kristaps Porzingis admits. Porzingis made his comments after Boston’s win over Dallas on Saturday.

“We were a lion last season, and some games this year we’ve looked like a house cat,” Porzingis said, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “We want to have that spirit as a team this year, and it’s tough. Obviously we can’t trick ourselves and make it [like] it’s playoffs every game. It’s tough, just human nature. But we know the group that we have and we know that we’re going to bring it to the big games, but we need to bring it consistently and keep building on top of good wins like (Saturday).”

Boston has gone 11-9 over its last 20 games.

“We’re definitely working towards getting our killer instinct back,” Porzingis said. “We want to have that. Some moments we’ve looked really good, some moments not so good. Some moments we’ve cruised a little bit.”

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Kyrie Irving had a tumultuous stint in Boston before departing in free agency in 2019 but he has nothing but praise for the current version of the Celtics, according to Brian Robb of Masslive.com. “Everyone kind of criticizes them based on what their season is this year, but if you look at their first 42 games, it’s pretty similar compared to last year,” the Mavericks guard said. “Maybe two years off. This is a well coached basketball team.”
Josh Hart was considered a game-time decision on Saturday due to knee soreness. The Knicks forward wound up posting his sixth triple-double this season with 20 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists as New York blew out the Kings. Hart never had a triple-double before he joined the Knicks in 2022, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. “I think that’s a lot of credit to Thomas Thibodeau,” Hart said. “And him putting me in a position to be successful. I think it’s always a good combination when you have a coach and player who match each other’s craziness. So I gotta give him all the credit for the success I’m having since I’ve been here.”
Paul George has dealt with numerous injuries in his first season with the Sixers, the latest being a finger ailment suffered on Saturday. “You feel bad for him,” guard Tyrese Maxey told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, “especially because now you think he’s finding his rhythm, kind of finding his niche where he fits in with the offense.”