The injury bug has bitten the Boston Celtics at the absolute worst time as Jayson Tatum is far from the only key piece of the puzzle dealing with issues that are impacting, or outright preventing, their ability to take the floor.
With Kristaps Porzingis still suffering through lingering issues with the illness he developed during the regular season. That has opened the door for Luke Kornet to take on a larger role, though, and he has taken full advantage of it.
In a must-win scenario for the Celtics on Wednesday night, Kornet brought what could be the best performance of his career to the floor when Boston needed it the most as the former Vanderbilt University atandout was a perfect 5-5 from the field to finish the 127-102 win with 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and seven blocked shots in just 26 minutes of action.
Kornet's big game was absolutely needed by the Celtics as Porzingis was unable to take the floor during the second half due to breathing issues.
Following the win, Mazzulla sang Kornet's praises as he stepped up in a massive way by making his presence felt on both ends of the hardwood.
“He was great. Just both ends of the floor," Mazzulla said, via Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. "His presence was good… He made some big-time plays for us.”
Kornet showing up for Boston in this manner at this time is a huge boost for their hopes of coming back and winning this series. At this point, it is hard to envision the franchise can rely on Porzingis to be there night in and night out. If Kornet can fill the same role he did during Game 5, Boston could have a new lease on life this postseason.
What that means for Kornet's long-term future with the Celtics is a much different story. Kornet is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and showing like the one he had in Game 5, when Boston was in a do-or-die scenario, should only make him an even more attractive option on the free agent market.
Given Boston's current salary cap situation moving forward, having to commit additional money to keep Kornet in the fold could prove to be too expensive of an endeavor for Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office to take on.
Regardless of where Kornet lands as a free agent, it seems safe to assume that his play during this playoff run has increased the amount of money he'll be offered once free agents are able to negotiate with other franchises.