Jaylen Brown’s Statement Backfires as ESPN Insider Drops Alarming Details on Kristaps Porzingis’ Illness

On Monday, all eyes were on the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. The Cs entered the second round after taking care of business against Orlando to face their bitter rivals, the New York Knicks. Many tipped that Boston would come out on top against New York. While the Celtics did manage to take a 20-point lead at one point, it wasn’t enough. A playoff record 45 missed threes were the reason they fumbled a solid lead and handed New York the first game. This defeat was a major setback, but something even more worrying emerged from the loss.

Boston’s towering center, Kristaps Porzingis, exited Monday’s Game 1 midway through the second quarter as Celtics faithful collectively held their breath. However, more disappointment followed as Porzingis was ruled out for the rest of the night due to a non-COVID illness. There was no further update on the 29-year-old Celtics center’s health.

However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has now revealed concerning news about Porzingis’ health. “On Tuesday, Mazzulla said that this illness he was dealing with is still lingering from that virus that he had in February and March, where he missed three weeks and eight games,” Windhorst said.

“And he said he’s been doing a really good job, you know, fighting through it, but that he gets hit with these bouts of fatigue and upper respiratory issues. And he was trying to fight through it and couldn’t, and that’s why he came out.” The ESPN analyst revealed that Porzingis has struggled with the illness since March. The 29-year-old is yet to miss a postseason game this season, playing a part in all five games. However, he’s had his fair share of trouble with rare injuries. Just last season, the Celtics star missed all but six games due to a rare leg injury that also led him to miss games this season.

Jan 25, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts on the floor after a play against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“He’s day-to-day, his list says probable for game two, so I guess he’s going to play, but like, that was, but that’s concerning on a human level that he’s still battling. By the way, they don’t know what it was. He said they didn’t know what it was. I guarantee you, he saw a lot of doctors and they ran a lot of tests. So, this is now two months later, this is still bothering him. And I don’t, you know, you’re worried about him again on a personal human level, but now you’re worried about him because he’s such an important player for them.” Windhorst further emphasized on his podcast, ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoops Collective.‘

Indeed, this is concerning news for Kristaps Porzingis. According to Windhorst, despite seeing multiple doctors, he’s yet to know the cause of his illness. Moreover, you could see that he was bothered by something even before he walked out of Monday’s game. He missed all four of his shots from deep in Game 1. Moreover, Porzingis is averaging just 10 points in the playoffs this season, at 11.8 percent from the three, which is much lower than the 41.2 percent from the regular season. While Kristaps Porzingis’ health issues have led to a downfall in his stats, it has also led to his teammate, Jaylen Brown’s, recent comments to backfire.

Jaylen Brown’s statement backfires after a massive update on Kristaps Porzingis’ health

Just a few days back, the Boston Celtics were cruising against the Magic as they took a crucial 3-1 lead. After a dominating 107-98 victory over Orlando, Jaylen Brown and Co. were hyped up. While Jayson Tatum was the hero on the night, scoring 37 points along with 14 rebounds and three assists, there was another solid performer. It was none other than Kristaps Porzingis, who finished the night with 19 points and five boards. This led to Brown making a comment that seemed fairly right at the time, but not anymore.

Sep 24, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) talks to reporters during media day at Auerbach Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown stated that Porzingis is better than ever after a great performance. “Yeah, we’ve been talking about it all year long, just preparing for these moments, you know, bodywise, just taking care of your body. KP’s in I think in much better shape than he was last year, physically, mentally more prepared, and tonight he had an excellent game.” Brown stated after the huge win.

The Boston superstar indicated that Porzingis was in much better shape and improved big time this season. Those comments came after he missed a huge portion of the playoffs last season and this season’s regular season due to a leg injury.

However, Brown’s comments have not aged well, to say the least. While Kristaps Porzingis has played all postseason games this season, his fitness for Game 2 and further hangs in the balance. It seems like Brown spoke a bit too soon regarding the 29-year-old’s fitness. Porzingis has not been himself lately, and still not having him on the floor will be a huge blow for the Celtics.

Nonetheless, the illness seems to be bigger than basketball, and Boston will have to make a big decision on Porzingis. Everyone eagerly awaits the latest update on his health as we wish the Boston superstar a speedy recovery.

 

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