With the Boston Celtics just two losses away from being eliminated, the health status of Kristaps Porziņģis continues to be a major topic of discussion for the basketball community. Despite finishing the season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics underachieved heavily in the first two games of this series.
Given that Karl-Anthony Towns has been a force that the New York Knicks have utilized well so far, Celtics fans have begun to wonder about the status of their own star center. Given the Celtics’ current predicament, an explanation for his unexpected absence is a matter of interest.
What Illness Is Keeping Kristaps Porziņģis From Helping the Celtics?
While it is reasonably common for stars across the league to miss extended periods due to injuries or personal reasons, it is rarer to see stars miss games due to medical issues such as contracting a virus or dealing with an illness.
Although it is unclear exactly what illness Porziņģis is dealing with, reports reveal that it is an upper respiratory virus that he has been battling since March. NBA insider Shams Charania spoke on Porziņģis’ unexpected illness and its impact on his performance.
“My understanding is that he has been dealing with lingering side-effects from the virus that he had in March, and it’s something that has zapped his energy, it has drained him,” Charania said.
“He’s had to rely on getting a lot more sleep over the past couple of months. He’s had to take IVs, immune boosters, I’m told. So he’s trying to figure out ways to mitigate it. … They have not been able to completely identify which virus this could specifically be.”
"Kristaps Porzingis has been dealing with lingering side effects from the virus that he had in March..
He's tried to find ways to mitigate it but it has really drained his energy..
It's been a tough blow to this Celtics team to not have him at 100%" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Tvoce6swLU
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 9, 2025
It is hard to imagine what kind of virus Porziņģis contracted, especially since an organization with top-tier medical facilities, such as the Celtics, has been unable to diagnose and treat it effectively.
Given that Porziņģis has been playing through this illness over the past several weeks, it might not be unfair to expect him to play through it, especially since the Celtics’ postseason aspirations appear to be on the verge of fading away.
While everyone might want Porziņģis back on the court to help his team, the fact remains that he could be a liability if he is feeling fatigued and unable to keep up with the tempo and pace of a high-stakes postseason game. Although the Celtics still have a chance to win this series without him, Porziņģis’ health is crucial to the team’s success this season.