Kristaps Porziņģis found his scoring touch and adjusted his approach Sunday, helping the Boston Celtics secure a 107-98 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of their series. The win gave Boston a 3-1 lead.
Porziņģis entered the game having shot just 28.1 percent from the field in the first three contests, missing all 10 of his attempts from three-point range.
He said he needed to make changes to counter Orlando's defense, which had been effective at limiting Boston's usual three-point attack.
"I kept playing a little bit more like I was during the regular season," Porziņģis said. "I needed to make some adjustments and just rolling more, honestly, and getting going with some easy ones early on. D-White found me and just playing a little bit towards the rim."
The adjustment was evident early, with Porziņģis rolling to the basket after setting screens, leading to dunks. Derrick White assisted on the first two in the opening minutes.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla noted Porziņģis's effectiveness. "He was great tonight," Mazzulla said. "I thought he set the tone for us in our half-court offense with his screening, and his rolling, and his ability to make two-on-ones better for us."
Kristaps Porziņģis finished with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting despite foul trouble that limited him to 22 minutes. A key play came late in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 91, when he grabbed his own miss and finished with a put-back dunk.
Jaylen Brown commented on Porziņģis's preparation this season compared to last, when he played sparingly in the postseason due to injuries. "KP’s, I think, in much better shape than he was last year, physically. Mentally, (he’s) more prepared and tonight, he had an excellent game," Brown said. He pointed to the late put-back as a demonstration of that preparation.
The Magic's defensive strategy forced Boston to rely heavily on its starters, particularly Jayson Tatum and Brown, as the bench struggled to produce points. Orlando focused on denying open three-pointers and challenging one-on-one matchups.
"Orlando’s just being physical," Brown said. "I think that’s what their emphasis has been. I think they’re staying at home a lot, so just forcing me and JT (Jayson Tatum) to make plays over their guys."
