BOSTON — Naturally, plenty of attention coming into Game 5 between the Celtics and Heat was going to be how Boston would look without Kristaps Porzingis. The big man hurt his calf in Game 4 as it appears he’ll be out for the foreseeable future for the Celtics.
The early returns impressed as the Celtics dominated the Heat to advance to the second round of the playoffs. There wasn’t much drop-off behind Porzingis as Al Horford fired his team up and Luke Kornet gave some solid production as the big off the bench. But in Jaylen Brown’s eyes, he knows Porzingis is down because he can’t help out his squad.
“Knowing KP, he wants to be out there bad,” Brown said. “You can tell just knowing him now, he’s smiling, but you can tell it hurts him that he’s not being with his team. But I just told him that we’re going to hold it down. Just get your recovery in, get back healthy and we’re not going to miss a beat when you come back. So we’ll be ready.”
The Celtics have the firepower and depth to withstand Porzingis’ absence even through the second round of the playoffs. They’ll face either the Magic or Cavaliers with Cleveland leading that series 3-2 currently with Game 6 on Friday. Boston will be heavy favorites in that series even without Porzingis, which is a luxury.
For now, the Celtics will continue to rely on a mix of Horford and Kornet. Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta are also a pair of options based on matchups. All four of those bigs contributed to the Celtics in some fashion during the regular season, though Tillman was a trade deadline acquisition.
Factoring in the rest of the roster, there’s a reason the Celtics can withstand missing such an important piece of the equation in Porzingis. The Celtics will also get the chance to get some added rest in between series, which should help the rest of the roster amid a grueling playoff run.
“For me personally, I don’t think it changes much,” Derrick White said. “I mean obviously KP out there, it’s a little bit different, but I wouldn’t say it changes anything for me. Obviously we miss him, but Al steps up and does little bit everything for us so it’s different but still effective.”
HAWKS: Onsi Saleh was officially hired by the Hawks as an assistant general manager, coming to Atlanta from Golden State.
Saleh served last season as vice president of basketball strategy and team counsel for the Warriors. He adds to a front office that already includes assistant GM Kyle Korver, with both now working under GM Landry Fields.
CAVALIERS: Starting center Jarrett Allen did not practice as he continues to be slowed by a painful rib injury that could keep him out of Friday night’s critical Game 6 in Orlando.
Allen didn’t dress for Cleveland’s 104-103 win in Game 5 on Wednesday. The team said Allen, who was injured in Game 4, only received treatment and did rehab work as his teammates prepared for the Magic.
Cleveland holds a 3-2 lead and can close out the Eastern Conference first-round series with a road win over the Magic, who won Games 3 and 4 at home by a combined 61 points.
SPURS-PACERS: Victor Wembanyama will return to Paris, he hopes as an Olympic champion, when the San Antonio Spurs face the Indiana Pacers in two regular-season NBA games early next year.
The NBA announced the teams will play on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25, marking the first time two regular-season games will be held in Paris in the same season.
Wembanyama was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, when the 7-foot-4 Frenchman joined the Spurs from Paris-based team Boulogne-Levallois.
The Spurs are returning to Paris for the first time since 2006, when another Frenchman, Tony Parker, starred for the team as a point guard.
Before that, Wembanyama is expected be one of the stars at the Paris Olympics, where France hopes to win the gold medal for the first time after losing in the final to the United States in Tokyo.
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