But on Wednesday night, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned that Porzingis was unable to breathe properly during the game, adding a concerning twist to an otherwise hopeful night.
The Celtics extended the series with a blowout victory, but they got just 1 point and one rebound from their starting center.
“He couldn’t breathe, so he was available if absolutely necessary,” Mazzulla said. “That was just a decision between me and him. He was having difficulty breathing, but he wanted to be out there. If we absolutely needed him, we would have been able to go to him.”
These Celtics are facing a playoff test unlike anything they’ve seen since acquiring Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in trades two offseasons ago, and Porzingis’s on-and-off symptoms are affecting almost every part of his game.
His playoff averages of 8.1 points and 21.9 minutes are career lows. His rebounding is up slightly from last year at 4.6 per game, but he’s averaging half as many blocks as last postseason. His shooting numbers are down across the board. He described feelings of a big energy “crash” after the Celtics dropped Game 2 to the Knicks.
The previous ailments were lower-body injuries that caused him to miss time, but they did not affect his shooting much. He has always shot at least 46.7 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from 3-point range, and 84.2 percent from the free throw line during the playoffs, until this year.
Those numbers have cratered during these playoffs. He is down to 32 percent from the field, 12.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 69.8 percent on free throws.
Porzingis’s role as a floor spacer is valuable. Having an athletic, 7-foot-2-inch who has shot at least 37.5 percent from 3-point range during both of his regular seasons with the Celtics was almost like a cheat code for the defending champs because he also had the power and explosiveness to punish smaller players who switch onto him.
Porzingis usually has deep range to go along with his accuracy, forcing opposing big men to step out instead of being able to camp out down low and stay around the rim. That typically opens things up for the Celtics’ slashers. Boston has missed that during these playoffs.
As much as he wanted to be out there, it was clear from the beginning that Porzingis did not look good in Game 5.
Less than four minutes into the game, he had his hands on his hips. There was more standing around and looking at shots going up than crashing for rebounds.
Porzingis, who is a foot taller than Jalen Brunson, had the Knicks point guard switched onto him on a pick-and-roll. Holiday lobbed a pass to Porzingis that would have easily been within the center’s reach on a normal night. Porzingis watched it sail over his head without jumping for it.
There was little strength left in his game Wednesday night. He posted up Brunson on another possession and had the ball stripped before he was able to gain much traction. He was whistled for an offensive foul on his second touch of the game because he elbowed Karl-Anthony Towns in the neck trying to get separation for a fadeaway jumper. He missed a layup that was contested by OG Anunoby.
Mazzulla started Porzingis and let him play 12 minutes in the first half after bringing him off the bench the last three games. With Porzingis having more turnovers (2) than points (1) at halftime, Mazzulla turned to Luke Kornet.
The Celtics rallied in Game 5, as Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kornet rose to the occasion and sent the series back to New York.
Porzingis’s minutes had steadily increased and he appeared to be making slight progress in the four games before Wednesday night’s setback, a reminder that recovery from an illness is not always linear.
Khari Thompson can be reached at khari.thompson@globe.com.
