Joe Mazzulla explains Kristaps Porzingis’s late lineup scratch

By Khari A.

Thompson The Celtics cruised to victory Saturday night without center Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the game with an illness.

He was sick, wasnt feeling well, coach Joe Mazzulla said.

He tried to play, but he just couldnt do it.

When that happens, it just gives guys another opportunity to step up.

Thats the great thing about the locker room, those guys are always ready.

Luke (Kornet) ready to start, (Neemias Queta), (Xavier Tillman), everybody.

So, to me its just about the connectivity of the team and stuff like that.

The next guys got to be ready and do his job and and they did a good job of that.

Although Porzingis was out, the Celtics started the game with a double-big lineup and stayed with variations of their double-big looks throughout the night.

To me, its more about just having different ways that you can play, Mazzulla said.

The season presents opportunities for that and we need to be able to be flexible to win the matchup at that particular time.

I thought tonight that just won the matchup for us.

New York is one of the most physical teams in the league.

They do a great job on both ends of the glass, so we were able to counteract that a little bit with our physicality.

So, its a credit to the guys for playing as hard as they did especially defensively, they were really well connected, he added.

All of our bigs.

I thought Al (Horford), I dont know if he took 2-3 shots, but his defensive positioning and physicality was tremendous.

The Celtics out-rebounded the Knicks, 48-30.

Kornet posted a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double.

Queta and Horford grabbed eight rebounds apiece.

Big Luke played his (butt) off today, Jayson Tatum said.

He kind of really set the tone to start.

He was contesting, blocking shots, rebounding.

Obviously Al did his thing, and then big Neemi came in the game and was making the right reads, getting offensive rebounds, knocking his free-throws down.

Even X came in and gave us a little bit, so kudos to those guys.

Payton Pritchard told Kornet that he would be starting during warmups.

Kornet began his NBA career with the Knicks.

He reflected on how far hes come since those early days.

Its always fun coming back, Kornet said.

Honestly, sometimes its like the years pass and just remembering driving in for games and that I did live here.

It feels like a long time ago and a lot of stuff has happened in my life since then, like from the player that I was then.

Im just kind of grateful for the time that I was here and I feel like it was a great start to my career.

Then, being able to come back to Boston right now and like, where weve been having won a championship now, and trying to go for another one.

Honestly, just kind of grateful to come back and see it, and obviously its just a fun environment and that type of thing, so its cool to come back in that respect.

Khari A.

Thompson Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com.

Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

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