The Boston Celtics are getting ready for the most important game of the season as they head to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 against the Knicks. Another loss on Saturday would effectively end Boston's season, as no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit.
While the Celtics certainly have the talent to come back from the current 2-0 deficit, they need to start playing better. Even though they had a 20-point lead in each of the first two games, Boston's offense didn't look as dynamic as it did the entire season. Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown need to do a better job creating better looks for themselves and others. Shooting better than 25% from downtown would certainly help as well.
However, one of the most important swing factors will be Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian big man has been dealing with an illness that forced him out of Game 1 early and limited him to 14 minutes off the bench in Game 2. After the game, Porzingis revealed his frustrations about his lack of energy due to his illness.
Before Saturday's Game 3, head coach Joe Mazzulla provided more clarity on Porzingis' status. Darren Harwell of NBC Sports Boston summarized Mazzulla's remarks during his interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand.
"We hope that he'll continue to get better and better with these two days off. We hope that he'll be better, because we need him for us to be at our best."Joe Mazzulla on Kristaps Porzingis
Mazzulla said that the illness is impacting the 29-year-old's fatigue and breathing before adding that he is hoping the two days of rest will help him to "be better". He added that Porzingis was good in his limited minutes in Game 2 and he is hoping that the former All-Star can "build on that".
Celtics' head coach is correct in saying that the team needs Porzingis to be at their best. How much he will be able to give to Boston on Saturday will be a huge determining factor for the Celtics' chances in Game 3.