Joe Mazzulla breaks down what went wrong for the Celtics in the second half in their loss to the Magic. Orlando outscored Boston 65-40 in the half, including a 17-0 run in the third quarter.
Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis exited Friday night's 113-96 In-Season Tournament loss to the Orlando Magic, later being ruled out with left calf tightness. Following the game, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reported that Porzingis was scheduled to have an MRI on Saturday.
While no official statement was given since, Porzingis did post to his Instagram story on Saturday stating that he received "good news," and that he'll "be back very soon."
Prior to Sunday night's matchup against the 8-7 Atlanta Hawks, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated that Porzingis' calf injury will be reevaluated in about a week or so, with no specific timetable for a return just yet.
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In the Latvian's absence, the Celtics will likely lean on Al Horford, with help from Luke Kornet. Alternatively, Celtics' two-way center Neemias Queta was also seen during the team shootaround prior to Sunday night's tip-off. To add some extra bench presence, Boston also elevated their 2023 second round selection, 6-foot-6 guard Jordan Walsh, from their G-League affiliate team, the Maine Celtics.
With Porzingis out for most of the second half in their loss to the Magic, Kornet stepped up, logging a season-high 25 minutes. With his added time on the court, Kornet tallied 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting with six rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and an assist. Meanwhile, Horford struggled, only scoring three points on 1-of-5 shooting while grabbing five rebounds and three assists in his 33 minutes of play.
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Porzingis has played a major part in the early success of the Celtics, averaging 18.9 points on 54.7 percent shooting from the field, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.
The Celtics also ruled Jrue Holiday out of Sunday's game due to a right ankle sprain. Despite the absences of Porzingis and Holiday, Boston will look to stay undefeated at home when they take on Trae Young and the struggling Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. ET.
