With little to play for over their final 13 games, the Celtics could opt to scale back Kristaps Porzingis’ workload to keep him fresh for the postseason.
But he hopes they don’t.
Porzingis, who missed eight straight games with a [mysterious viral illness](https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/03/11/how-joe-mazzulla-celtics-players-reacted-to-kristaps-porzingis-viral-illness-update/) before returning to the lineup on Saturday, said logging additional minutes will be important for him as he works his way back into game shape.
“I want to definitely play,” Porzingis said after Tuesday’s [104-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets](https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/03/18/baylor-scheierman-dazzles-in-breakout-game-as-shorthanded-celtics-beat-nets1/) at TD Garden. “I need to get in the best shape. Now after the illness, it’s taking me a little bit. But with each day, a little bit better, and somehow the schedule (is) kind of working out for me right now, because we had one game, two days in between a game, and now again we have two days, which is nice. This doesn’t happen often, and it’s actually perfect timing for me. So just working my way back to the best shape and look forward to having my best shape now going into the postseason.”
Porzingis put up strong numbers in both games since his return. He scored 24 points (including 15 in the fourth quarter) in Saturday’s win at Brooklyn, then tallied 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in Tuesday’s rematch.
“(I’m) feeling alright,” the center said. “Feeling a little bit better each day, I would say. Energy is going back up. But still, for sure, working my way back into the best shape.”
It would take a major collapse from Boston or one of its Eastern Conference rivals to move the Celtics out of the No. 2 spot in the East standings, and head coach Joe Mazzulla already has begun giving his starters periodic nights off. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both did not play Tuesday, and Derrick White sat out Saturday. The Celtics have not played a game with their preferred starting lineup of Tatum, Brown, White, Porzingis and Jrue Holiday since Feb. 23.
Boston is off until Friday, when it begins a six-game Western Conference road trip in Utah. Four of those games are against teams in the bottom five of the West standings (Utah, Portland, Phoenix, San Antonio), and another is against ninth-place Sacramento. The only contender the Celtics will face on the trip is Memphis (March 31), which sat one game back of second place in the West entering Wednesday.
Asked what would constitute a successful road trip, Porzingis replied: “For us, probably 6-0, no?”
“We’ll see,” he added. “Obviously, we expect to win every game. There would be maybe a handful of games this season that we were not favored. So I don’t know what the betting odds will say, but (we’re) trying to win every game. And I don’t know what our roster will look like, is another question. But yeah, 6-0, come back home, would be perfect.”