Tatum calls Porzingis ‘most important guy’ on Celtics

Without being prompted, Jayson Tatum called one of his teammates the most important piece of the Celtics’ hunt for Banner 18.

Following Boston’s 104-84 Game 3 win over the Heat Saturday and a bounceback performance for everybody, Tatum essentially referred to Kristaps Porzingis as the cog that keeps the Celtics’ machine running.

“Probably the most important guy on our team for what we’re trying to accomplish,” Tatum told reporters when asked about his teammate. “No doubt in my mind that he was gonna have a better game and bounce back, just the way he started out the game on both ends of the floor being active. When he’s protecting the rim, contesting shots, we’re a whole different team.”

Porzingis’s Game 2 performance on Wednesday wasn’t pretty — he shot 1-of-9 from the field and went 0-for-4 from three-point range. His poor night helped allow Miami to defeat Boston 111-101 and tie the first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

Nevertheless, Porzingis persisted.

The center scored 18 points and logged five rebounds plus two assists in Game 3 Saturday night. Porzingis also recorded two blocks and one steal, finishing the night as a +12.

Porzingis’s energy made a difference for the Celtics and helped Boston re-take control of the series.

“It was a long two days, the way it burns inside after a game like that, after a loss like that,” Porzingis said postgame. “From probably having my worst game as a Celtic, it really burned inside, I’m not gonna lie. It was a long two days until you get another opportunity and make some adjustments. … It was a completely different game today.”

Tatum is right: If Porzingis is on, everybody else typically follows suit. If Porzingis is off, the rest of the team is more apt to struggle.

Especially against a pesky team like the Heat in the playoffs, nobody in a Celtics uniform can afford to perform poorly on any given night. Let alone their starting center.

Porzingis has proven to be a vital part of Boston’s anatomy this entire season. He’ll have to continue to be just that through the postseason.