The Boston Celtics took charge of business against the Miami Heat. After dropping Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, the Celtics rallied for three convincing victories to eliminate the team which terminated their playoff run a year ago.
After completing the series with a 118-84 victory on Wednesday, May 1, Celtics star Jaylen Brown discussed Porzingis’ agony even after the Boston triumph.
The Celtics acquired Porzingis in the offseason following a three-team trade that saw Boston exchange Marcus Smart, a fan favorite who began his career with the Celtics in 2014. While the loss of Smart was frustrating, Celtics supporters immediately embraced Porzingis, who provided Boston with much-needed interior presence.
The main question about the Porzingis deal was not over losing Smart. It was Porzingis’ health. The Celtics were excessively careful with their injury-prone 7-foot-2 center, who missed 25 games this season. Several of those games were for precautionary factors, as the Celtics finished the regular season with a 64-18 mark.
Boston faced an obstacle in Game 4 of the Heat series when Porzingis went down with a non-contact calf injury. He is certain to miss Boston’s next series, yet he might return if the Celtics make it to the conference finals.
Porzingis has been positive across the season, calling it one of the most enjoyable years of his career. Brown, a close friend of Porzingis, said he is still smiling but still grieving
The Celtics were the first Eastern Conference club that made it to the second round. They’re going to face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Orlando Magic.
The Celtics lost a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter during their regular-season finale against the Cavaliers. Brown believes both the Cavaliers and the Magic pose legitimate threats.
