The Boston Celtics' quest for banner 19 continues! Down 47-49 at halftime of Tuesday's game five, the team staged a historic comeback and finished off the Orlando Magic 120-89. Per OptaStats, the C’s made NBA playoff history, becoming the first team to be down at halftime and go on to win by 30+ points. Now the team gets nearly a week off, until Monday, May 5th, before game one of the semi-finals.
The @celtics are the first team in NBA playoff history to trail at halftime but end up winning by 30+ points. pic.twitter.com/YTnAvmz6XK
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 30, 2025
During the extended time off, head coach Joe Mazzulla should make some adjustments on offense to help further unlock Kristaps Porzingis’ offensive game. Yesterday, former Celtic and NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine spoke on WEEI on what he wants to see from Kristaps as the playoffs continue:
"I like Porzingis as a versatile big. So that means picking and rolling, picking and popping, picking and using a switch, running early postups, peeling out to the corner, stretching the floor. I don’t think that he’s good when he is one-dimensional. I think he’s good when he does five different things."Brian Scalabrine
The Celtics are nearly unstoppable offensively when 7-foot-2 Kristaps is playing well. And the series against the Orlando Magic was a great indicator that when he is engaged on both ends, the Celtics win. For example, in game two, Porzingis stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. He followed that up with a 19-point, 5-rebound performance in game four. In the Celtics' lone series loss, Kristaps only contributed seven points and six rebounds.
As the Celtics make their push for banner 19, Joe Mazzulla should continue to draw up sets for Porzingis and make him a priority on offense in different roles. Having a stretch-five who can space the floor like Kristaps is a luxury and one that, if utilized right, can bring the Celtics back-to-back championships.