By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After being limited to 1/9 field goals in Game 2, Kristaps Porzingis jumped to 5/9 shots in Game 3. Helping the Boston Celtics secure a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series against the Miami Heat, the Latvian big finished with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal over 27 minutes in Kaseya Center on the latest edition of NBA Saturdays.
“It was a long two days. Just the way it burns inside, after a game like that, after a loss like that. And me probably having my worst game as a Celtic,” Porzingis referred to logging six points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks in Game 2, “I made some adjustments. I did not fall too much into their game.”
Recovering homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel, the C’s and Porzingis stay in Miami for Game 4 on Monday before the series returns to TD Garden on Wednesday.
“I think our fans deserve to see us play better,” Nikola Jovic presented the perspective from the opposite side, commenting on suffering a defeat in the home opener of the postseason, “We just got to be better for the next game. We will make sure that we do everything we can to win.”
Starting for the Heat and lasting 34 minutes in Game 3, the Serbian power forward went for 15 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal.