Kristaps Porzingis blames 'mid-game relaxation' for paying price amid Hawks' heroic comeback
Kristaps Porzingis blamed the Boston Celtics' "mig-game relaxation" for blowing a 30-point lead in their shock loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night. The Celtics were up 68-38 in the first half before the Hawks mounted a comeback, led by Dejounte Murray and DeAndre Hunter.
In his postgame interview, Porzingis shared his thoughts on the Hawks snapping their nine-game winning streak. He pointed out relaxing mid-game as the reason for the defeat but doesn't worry about it too much.
He added that it's part of the NBA and they have to take things more seriously heading into the playoffs.
"You go up 30, feel like everything's just smooth and you relax," Porzingis said. "You give them some, and to that type of team, if you relaxed too much, to give them some open looks, those guys can make shots."
He continued:
"I think we did a good job during the game, not overreacting even though it's was a big contrast in what happened in the game. It's the NBA. These kind of things happen. We just don't want to make this a habit and it hasn't been a habit for us. We slipped one game."
Kristaps Porzingis ended with 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes in the 120-118 loss. It was his first game back since missing the previous one against the Chicago Bulls due to a minor hamstring injury.
Jayson Tatum had a monster game of 37 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points. It was a tough game for the Boston Celtics in terms of not having a primary ballhandler and playmaker in the starting lineup.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were out for the game, with Tatum and Brown serving as the Celtics' guards. They needed the calmness that Holiday and White would have brought during the Atlanta Hawks' run.
Also Read: "What the actual f**k?" - Charles Barkley saying Kristaps Porzingis should come off the bench has NBA fans going off on $200 million TNT analyst
Celtics need Kristaps Porzingis to be healthy in playoffs
Kristaps Porzingis was one of two big acquisitions by the Boston Celtics in the offseason along with Jrue Holiday.
It has certainly paid off, as Porzingis and Holiday have been the difference-makers for the Celtics. They are one of the reasons why Boston will likely win at least 60 games.
However, Porzingis will need to stay healthy in the postseason if the Celtics want to have any kind of success. He has missed 22 games this season due to injuries. Some of the things he has endured this season include issues with his knee, calf, ankle, eye, back and hamstring.
Also Read: Caitlin Clark catches Jayson Tatum stray as Hawks announcer denounces his incessant complaining