Celtics will take their time with Kristaps Porzingis’s return
“We’re going to give it a week and see where he’s at and kind of see how he responds to the treatment over the next week,"
The Celtics are planning to give Kristaps Porzingis some time off before re-evaluating his status, coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday before the Celtics 118-84 victory to close out the series against the Heat, 4-1
Porzinigis missed Game 5 of Boston’s opening-round playoff series against the Heat with a calf strain. Mazzulla said he’s not sure what the timetable will be for Porzinigis’s return.
“We’re going to give it a week and see where he’s at and kind of see how he responds to the treatment over the next week,” said Mazzulla.
Porzingis’s absence will leave a big hole for the Celtics to fill, forward Sam Hauser said, but there is a sense of relief that the injury isn’t as severe as it could have been.
“You never want to see someone go down,” Hauser said. “I’m glad it’s not as serious as it looked on TV or in person. I just hope he gets healthy quick and we can get him back at some point if we continue to win here.”
The Celtics are 21-4 this season without Porzingis. His presence will be missed on both ends of the floor, Derrick White said, but the Celtics are fortunate to have Al Horford ready to step in and contribute.
“Every game is a little bit different and every opponent is a little different, but obviously you can’t replace what he does on the floor,’’ White said.
“It’s obviously a big hole for us, but we have guys who have stepped up before. I mean, when you can put Al Horford in, it’s a luxury that we have. So, we’ll be ready to go.”
Fond farewell
Mike Gorman, the voice of the Celtics for 43 years, signed off his final broadcast.
Gorman announced this would be his final season as Celtics play-by-play announcer in October, and with local announcing teams not needed after the first round, the Celtics’ 118-84 series-clinching win over the Heat became his final game on the microphone.
“Phew, I don’t know what to say, really,” an emotional Gorman said at the end of the NBC Sports Boston broadcast. “For the past 43 years it has been an honor and my distinct pleasure to be the voice of the Boston Celtics. I’ll be forever grateful to this ownership for treating my family as they treat their own.
“Special thanks to all who welcomed Tommy [Heinsohn], [Brian] Scalabrine], and me into your homes all winter long. When it was a cold night going on outside you turned us on and it couldn’t have been better. There’s no place I’d rather have been. So Boston, thank you. Goodnight.”
When the Celtics stretched their lead to 107-73 with six minutes remaining in the game, the Garden crowd began chanting “Hey, hey, hey . . . gooood-bye!” To which, Scalabrine said to his retiring Celtics broadcast partner: “This is your soundtrack here.”
Horford among finalists
Horford finished sixth in the race for the NBA’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
The Celtics big man was one of 12 finalists for the award, which honors one player for selfless contributions on the court, off-court leadership, and dedication to their team.
League executives pick the finalists, while players vote for the winner.
The NBA announced that Minnesota’s Mike Conley won the award. Conley received 51 first-place votes and 1,172 total votes. Horford received 21 first-place votes and 634 total votes.
“The ultimate professional,” White said of Horford. “If you just watch him work day in and day out, you’re just going to be a better NBA player. You’re going to be more prepared. Just a guy that doesn’t care about himself, cares about others, and is always reaching out to help others. So, I’ve been extremely blessed to be his teammate and I think every person who has been Al Horford’s teammate will agree that he deserves that award.”
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