Celtics make lineup tweak in wake of Kristaps Porzingis’ illness

Porzingis, who played 14 minutes off the bench in Game 2, will continue coming off the bench. Al Horford will start in his place.

NEW YORK CITY — Kristaps Porzingis will come off the bench for the sixth time in his career in the Celtics’ Game 3 against the Knicks. Al Horford, meanwhile, will start for the second time this series.

Porzingis, who has been battling an unnamed illness since February, left Game 1 with an illness midway through the second quarter and never returned. He was limited to just 14 minutes off the bench in Game 2.

Pregame, Joe Mazzulla gave a positive update on Porzingis’s continued recovery, though the illness has ebbed and flowed over the past few weeks.

“He’s gotten better,” said the Celtics’ head coach. “Felt better yesterday.”

Porzingis spoke to the media after Game 2, and admitted he wasn’t feeling well. In his 14 minutes, he scored 8 points on 3-5 shooting and finished with a +/- of -9.

“I’m just not feeling my best — not feeling my best at all,” he said. “It just kills me inside it’s happening in this moment.”

Mazzulla said earlier this week that the Celtics center has been fighting through this illness since he first missed 11 games this Spring. He returned from that extended absence at a road game against the Nets on March 15th.

“Since he came back, he’s kind of been dealing with it — working through it, fighting through it, doing the best he can,” Mazzulla said.

ESPN’s Shams Charania provided an update on Porzingis before the game.

“He is still dealing with side effects from a virus he first dealt with in March,” Charania said. “It’s led to him having energy zaps, stamina ebbs and flows over the last couple of months. He felt he had turned the corner right as the playoffs started in mid-April. But in his own words, he’s had a crash right before Game 1 of this series.”

“He’s tried a lot of different things to try to mitigate the side effects. I’m told he’s been receiving IVs, immune boosters. He’s even changes his sleep pattern to try and get more rest. He’s essentially waking up every day hoping and praying that he feels better”

Pregame, Porzingis went through his usual shooting work.

Al Horford also struggled in Game 2. In 29 minutes — including the entire 4th quarter — the Celtics veteran shot 2-11 and was a -11.

Luke Kornet was the Celtics’ most effective big in Game 2. In his 17 minutes, he finished a +11, scoring 6 points on 3-4 shooting.