The Celtics are on a mission. With tonight’s dominant victory against the Nets, they became the third team this year to reach the 50-win mark – only behind the top-seeded Cavs and Thunder. But as the regular season reaches its final stage, the Boston franchise has an even bigger goal in mind. At least that’s what Kristaps Porzingis claims.
Addressing the Cs’ fifty-win accomplishment, KP said during the postgame presser, “No, we didn’t set a milestone to get to 50 or a specific number. Still how many games we have left? 14 or something?… 13? So, maybe we should win rest of 13 games and we would end up with 63. That would be a decent number.” The Latvian star believes the ideal scenario for his team would be to win all the remaining games and potentially overtake the Cavs for the first seed.
However, Porzingis clarified that they are taking it day-to-day, “We don’t have any specific goal. We just go game by game and yeah see where we end up.” Well, it will be a massive challenge for the Celtics to live up to KP’s claim as they will begin a six-game road trip on Friday. But even with the disadvantage of playing in enemy territory, Porzingis’ expectations are sky high.
When asked what a successful road trip would look like for the Cs, he said, “For us, probably 6-0 no. I would say for us. We’ll see. I mean obviously, we expect to win every game. Maybe, I don’t know handful of games this season that we were not favorites. So, I don’t know what the betting odds will say but probably yeah, trying to win every game… Yeah, 6-0, come back home would be perfect.” Looking at how dominant the reigning champs have been all year, its not impossible for them to go undefeated in this last stretch of the regular season. But there is one major concern they need to keep in mind before gunning for 63 wins – Health! An issue that has even caused fights in their locker room.
Jayson Tatum’s Confession raises concern as Kristaps Porzingis claims “I Wanna Definitely Play” amid Illness
At this point, the Cs look set as the second seed in the East. And they have a decision to make – Do they go all out for that first seed or rest their star players to prioritize a healthy playoff run? Well, Jayson Tatum recently revealed that this dilemma has caused a rift in the locker room. Playing through a lingering knee injury, many believe Tatum should sit out a few games to rest and fully recover. But he wants to be on the court every night. He claimed this contrasting opinion has caused “a lot of head butting for sure.”
He continued, “I’ve come in arenas; I’ve seen a lot of Jayson Tatum jerseys and kids with my shoes on. It might be for their birthday or a Christmas gift or whatever. I try to stay ready and play as much as I can, especially games on the road.” So, preparing for the upcoming road trip, Tatum took that much needed rest day tonight against the Nets.
Jan 15, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts after a play against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Even Porzingis, who recently missed eight straight games due to an illness, wants to suit up for as many games as possible, “Yeah, I wanna definitely play. I need to get in the best shape. Now after the illness, it’s taken me a little bit. But yeah, with each day a little bit better.” Addressing his health, he said, “Feeling all right. Feeling a little better with each day I would say. Energy is going back up. Yeah, but still for sure working my way back into the best shape.”
Obviously, no player wants to miss games at this stage in the season. But Porzingis also understands that availability in the playoffs is the top priority, “Just working my way back to the best shape and look forward to having my best shape now going into the postseason.” So, even though that 63-win goal seems attractive right now, it will not matter if the Cs suffer because of it in the playoffs. Do you agree?
The post Days After Jayson Tatum Confirmed Celtics Locker Room Fights, Kristaps Porzingis Makes Big Revelation About Team’s Plans appeared first on EssentiallySports.
