With Kristaps Porzingis dealing with an illness, Al Horford has been slotted into the starting center position for the majority of the second-round series. However, with Tatum out in Game 5, Porzingis slid back into the starting lineup for the first time since Game 1.

After playing a series-high 24 minutes in Game 4, Porzingis logged just 12 minutes in Game 5. Following the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla clarified why Porzingis didn't play in

As the Knicks made yet another soul-crushing run in the fourth quarter Wednesday, all Kristaps Porzingis could do was watch.

The Boston Celtics forced a Game 6 with a dominant win over the New York Knicks, but they had to do so without their starting big man for most of the game.

When Kristaps Porzingis concluded his first six-minute shift Wednesday night, he looked like he’d just run a marathon. His breathing was heavy. He was visibly fatigued. When he took his seat on the Celtics bench, he dropped his head and stared at the TD Garden parquet.

Kristaps Porzingis clearly is sick and tired and being ... “probably” are the aftereffects of an upper-respiratory viral illness that sidelined him for nine games in February and March.

Kristaps Porzingis struggled in the first half against the Knicks and was replaced in the starting lineup at halftime.