Celtics
“We’re going to give it a week and see where he’s at and kind of see how he responds to the treatment over the next week,”
The Celtics are planning to give Kristaps Porzingis some time off before re-evaluating his status, coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday.
Porzinigis missed Game 5 of Boston’s opening-round playoff series against the Heat with a calf strain. Mazzulla said he’s not sure what the timetable will be for Porzinigis’s return.
“We’re going to give it a week and see where he’s at and kind of see how he responds to the treatment over the next week,” said Mazzulla.
Porzingis’s absence will leave a big hole for the Celtics to fill, forward Sam Hauser said, but there is a sense of relief that the injury isn’t as severe as it could have been.
“You never want to see someone go down,” Hauser said. “I’m glad it’s not as serious as it looked on TV or in person. I just hope he gets healthy quick and we can get him back at some point if we continue to win here.”
The Celtics are 21-4 this season without Porzingis. His presence will be missed on both ends of the floor, Derrick White said, but the Celtics are fortunate to have Al Horford ready to step in and contribute.
“Every game is a little bit different and every opponent is a little different, but obviously you can’t replace what he does on the floor,’’ White said. “It’s obviously a big hole for us, but we have guys who have stepped up before. I mean, when you can put Al Horford in, it’s a luxury that we have. So, we’ll be ready to go.”
Speed will be a major factor in Game 5 with Porzingis out, according to Mazzulla.
“Just got to use the speed to our advantage on both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla said. “That’s the most important thing. But, it starts with our defense. We’ve got to get stops. When we do that, we don’t have to play in the halfcourt and in the halfcourt we have to use our speed to create two on ones and pocket opportunities.”
Horford among finalists
Horford finished sixth in the race for the NBA’s Tyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
The Celtics big man was one of 12 finalists for the award, which honors one player for selfless contributions on the court, off-court leadership, and dedication to their team.
League executives pick the finalists, while players vote for the winner.
The NBA announced that Minnesota’s Mike Conley won the award. Conley received 51 first-place votes and 1,172 total votes. Horford received 21 first-place votes and 634 total votes.
“The ultimate professional,” White said of Horford. “If you just watch him work day in and day out, you’re just going to be a better NBA player. You’re going to be more prepared.
Just a guy that doesn’t care about himself, cares about others, and is always reaching out to help others. So, I’ve been extremely blessed to be his teammate and I think every person who has been Al Horford’s teammate will agree that he deserves that award.”
Closing the deal
White said close-out games tend to be tough because of how hungry the other team is to save its season.
“The team just plays with a little more desperation,” White said. “Their year is on the line. Obviously highly competitive teams and nobody wants to go home, so just have to execute a little better and play hard. It’s just always tough.”
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