Time to reignite the NBA’s most epic rivalry! Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, the two historic franchises will face each other tonight. And the team in green would aim to protect home court and extend their three-game winning streak. However, it could prove to be a difficult challenge as they will have to play without their big man, Kristaps Porzingis.

Turns out, Porzingis will not suit up tonight. The reason? A non-Covid illness that has caused him to miss the last four games. Well, his status was initially questionable and he was optimistic about his chances of playing, but it looks like The Unicorn has not fully recovered from the unknown illness, which is why he has been downgraded to out.

Obviously, KP’s unavailability is a massive blow to the team as he has been solid this year, averaging 18.9 points and nearly seven rebounds. And his size and two-way presence are a huge asset for them. But this illness has turned into a major concern for the Latvian star. Since the All-Star break, he has played only three games.

Earlier this week, Joe Mazzulla detailed the severity of Porzingis’ illness, “He’s sick. He’s coming into the facility every day trying to get shots up, sweat it out. He’s just not feeling well. He is working to get back.” Hopefully, the seven-footer recovers soon and returns to the lineup. In his absence, Al Horford and Luke Kornet are likely to see an increase in minutes.

Well, Horford did not play on Thursday against the Sixers due to a left big toe sprain, but is back in the lineup tonight. And the veteran big man is averaging a solid 8.2 points and nearly six rebounds. Meanwhile, Kornet is also putting up similar numbers. So, the Celtics’ depth will come in handy while Porzingis is out.

Kristaps Porzingis blamed himself for blowout loss against Pistons amid Illness

While KP has been out for the last four games and will miss another one tonight, he did make a return for one game toward the end of last month, against the Pistons. However, it was clear that he had not completely recovered as he finished with only 11 points on an abysmal four of eleven shooting. His teammates did not do much better either. As a result, the Celtics got blown out by the Detroit team in a massive upset.

After the embarrassing loss, Porzingis blamed himself for the shocking outcome, “Just a bad game, to be honest. Me especially. I was terrible tonight.” Not only on the offensive end, but the big man was also lacking on defense that night as he grabbed only two rebounds, way below his season average. He continued, “They were hitting big shots after big shots, and we didn’t rebound the ball well—especially myself. So, definitely have to take some accountability and be better.”

Well, it was clear that the illness was affecting his game, and he has not suited up since. Surely, the Cs would hope that he gets better soon as they will need Porzingis’ versatility toward the end of the season and the playoffs to boost their chances of winning another championship. But for tonight, they need to figure out how to beat the Lakers without him. Do you think they can do it?