The Boston Celtics are in a funk and Kristaps Porzingis knows it.
After losing to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night, Boston is a mediocre 6-6 over the last 12 games and has looked out of sync. While the star center acknowledged this isn’t the best moment for the team, he was steadfast in his belief the team will snap out of it.
“We’re gonna get past it, we’re gonna be fine, we’ll figure it out,” Porzingis said. “I’m telling you, we’re confident we’ll bounce back. We’re just having not the prettiest moment right now as a team. It’s completely normal so no need to be negative. Believe me, we’ll figure it out.”
Porzingis has played in just 15 games so far due to injury, averaging 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. He is shooting 45.3 percent from the field after firing away at a 51.6 percent clip last season.
Kristaps Porzingis: “It doesn’t look perfect, but we’re gonna get past it. We’re gonna be fine. We’ll figure it out, I’m telling you. I’m confident we’ll bounce back. We’re just having not the prettiest moment right now as a team.”
⚡️ @PrizePicks @Gametime pic.twitter.com/BqAS5xLlsx
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) January 11, 2025
How Much Of A Funk?
After a 21-5 start, the Celtics are ceding significant ground to the Cleveland Cavaliers, now 6.5 games back of first place.
There’s no shame in losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder and a full-strength Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas day. What will be frustrating is allowing 138 points to the Chicago Bulls in a loss, falling to an Orlando Magic team missing Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and most recently a 17-point home defeat against the Kings with De’Aaron Fox missing.
Sabonis grabbed a career-high 28 rebounds in that game, becoming the first player with at least 20 points and 25 rebounds against the Celtics in Boston since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
Four of the six losses coming on Boston’s home floor does little to ease the tension some Celtics fans are currently feeling.
In the six losses, Boston has a net rating of minus-9.0 and an offense that’s produced 14 points fewer per-100 possessions than its season average of 121. The defense has also allowed six points more at 116.2.
Expectations Changing?
At the end of the day, the Celtics are the team to beat until an opponent can beat them four times out of seven in the postseason.
Overall on the season, this is a team with the third-best net rating, third-best offense, and seventh-best defense.
Cleveland has certainly played at a level high enough to be considered legitimate threats to Boston’s title hopes, but the New York Knicks will still have to show it can show greater resistance levels on defense.
Orlando is a team that defends at an elite level, and the returns of Banchero and Wagner to the lineup will be much needed in a potential series.
When you are the defending champions, the microscope zooms in that much more and the Celtics are experiencing that right now.
Lulls happen over the course of an 82-game regular season, and there’s no doubting Boston is in the middle of one.
