It was a big night for the Boston Celtics.
Derrick White had 34 points. Luke Kornet dropped 7 blocks in a career night. Jaylen Brown set a personal best with 12 dimes.
Almost every Celtic that got minutes contributed to the cause.
All of them, except Kristaps Porzingis.
The big man has been battling a mysterious, viral respiratory injury going back to February when he missed eight games.
Porzingis did not play in the second half of Boston’s 127-102 win over the Knicks.
He ended with 1 point and 1 rebound in 12 minutes of first-half action.
After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla gave an alarming reason why Porzingis did not log a minute after halftime.
Joe Mazzulla on not playing Kristaps Porzingis in the second half
“He couldn’t breathe, so he was available if absolutely necessary.”pic.twitter.com/PqQPtTNyHP
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 15, 2025
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
It’s a scary thing to hear about a world-class athlete. The Latvian once known as a ‘unicorn’ is now struggling to breathe.
After this recent development and Kornet’s performance, Boston could choose to shut down Porzingis for game 6 and maybe more.
With the mysterious nature of the illness, it’s just speculation to theorize what could be next for Boston’s big man.
All we know is it’s abnormal for a professional athlete to not be able to breathe.
MORE: 76ers predicted to land $194 million superstar in blockbuster trade involving Paul George
