The return of Porzingis was a bit rocky at first, which is not all that odd given how late in the season he first took the court. Now, he appears to be very close to at the peak of his powers -- and hopefully will stay that way given the impact he has had on Boston's play.

While the Celtics were ready to take on the Knicks, they downgraded a starter less than 30 minutes before tipoff. C’s big man Kristaps Porzingis was a surprise scratch due to an illness ahead of the 8:30 p.