Kristaps Porzingis excels in return from 'frustrating' illness - ESPN

NEW YORK — Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points in 32 minutes Saturday in a 115-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, ending an 8-game stint on the sidelines with an illness.

«It was extremely, extremely frustrating, just not knowing what I had,» Porzingis said afterward, adding that it was an upper respiratory illness that eventually developed into something like bronchitis or mononucleosis. «But I haven't been this sick for probably ever in my life. So I was really, for a week really just laying at home trying to recover. And after that I had lingering fatigue — and I still have it a little bit — but at least I'm not getting into shape to be able to play.

»But after each workout I was, boom, big crash. I was really, really fatigued. Like, not normal. So, yeah, it's taking a little bit longer, but I'm doing everything, all my bio-hacking stuff that I know, and just trying to get back in the best shape possible."

The 7-foot-3 Latvian had been out since a Feb. 26 loss to the Detroit Pistons with what the team had only described as a non-COVID illness. During Monday's win over the Utah Jazz in Boston, however, Porzingis posted on social media that he and the team had been unable to figure out what was wrong with him.

«I have been dealing with some viral illness that we haven't been able to fully identify yet,» Porzingis wrote. «I am recovering and getting better. But still working my way back to full [strength] to help this team. Thanks for the support and [I'm] hoping for a healthy return soon.»

Porzingis had seen questions surrounding why he'd continued to be out because of an illness and said he sent the message out on social media Monday in order to set the record straight about why