After losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Boston Celtics will look to rebound in Game 2 on Wednesday as the series against the New York Knicks trudges on.
Unfortunately, the Celtics did not escape that first game unscathed as they had two crucial rotational players exit the game and would not return. Center Kristaps Porzingis was dealing with an illness, and forward Sam Hauser suffered a sprained ankle late in the third quarter attempting to contest an O.G. Anunoby three-point attempt.
New York would capitalize on a depleted Boston roster, gutting out a 108-105 in overtime as the -9.5 point favorite Celtics would lose home-court advantage.
The Celtics' public relations department has already put out an update for both players. Porzingis is probable while he manages the sickness that he has been dealing with, and Hauser is doubtful with the ankle injury.
The Celtics are in dire need of both sharpshooters. Hauser and Porzingis led the team in three-point percentage this season, at 41.6% and 41.2%, respectively. After a disaster of a Game 1 saw the C's shoot just 25% from beyond the arc, they could use an injection of shot-making in Game 2.
While Hauser can be a bit of a liability defensively, his scoring punch off the bench is crucial for team success, as was seen in the Celtics' championship run last year. Porzingis, meanwhile, is a big piece of the puzzle in Boston's starting lineup and creates spacing issues and mismatches for opponents, perfectly supplementing a team with very few weak links.
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While the Knicks will certainly try to replicate the success that got them a shocking win in Game 1, the Celtics are still heavily favored to win the series across multiple betting markets. The eventual return of Porzingis and Hauser certainly helps those odds.
MORE CELTICS NEWS:
- Jayson Tatum makes candid statement about Celtics’ poor shooting in Game 1 loss to Knicks
- Joe Mazzulla's message about Kristaps Porzingis' injury during Celtics-Knicks series
- Jaylen Brown has intriguing take on Knicks defense after Celtics drop Game 1