This is the time of year for NBA teams to truly ramp things up ahead of the playoffs, and that is exactly what the Boston Celtics have been looking to do.
The defending world champions have won nine of their last 10 games and 19 of their last 23, but they're not at full strength right now.
Star forward Jaylen Brown recently suffered a bone bruise in his right knee, and Jayson Tatum has a right knee ailment. In addition, big man Kristaps Porziņģis recently missed several games in a row due to a mystery illness.
According to the Celtics' official X (formerly Twitter) account, Porzingis will be questionable for Sunday's game versus the Portland Trail Blazers.
Injury Report at POR (1/2):
Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement) - OUT
Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) - QUESTIONABLE
Kristaps Porzingis (return from illness reconditioning) - QUESTIONABLE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 23, 2025
Porzingis has historically been a player who has had trouble staying healthy. He suffered a calf strain early in last season's playoffs, and after returning for Game 1 of the NBA Finals and putting forth an impressive performance, he went back on the shelf due to a separate leg injury.
He had surgery as a result and didn't return until late November, and overall, he has appeared in just 35 games this season.
When he has been available for Boston, however, he has been a force. Since coming to Boston in a trade during the summer of 2023, he has averaged 19.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field and 38.4% from 3-point range.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM.