Porzingis finally shakes mysterious illness and scores 24 points in return to the Celtics' lineup

NEW YORK (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis kept working to return, only to get knocked back again by a mysterious illness that sapped his strength.

He finally felt well enough to play again Saturday night, and his big finish showed why the Boston Celtics believe they are so much more dangerous with their man in the middle.

Porzingis scored 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter after missing the previous eight games, helping the Celtics hold on for a 115-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“Honestly as the game went on I felt better and better,” Porzingis said. “Kind of had a little crash in the third, but pushed through it and I had a great fourth, and it was a close one but I’m happy we got it done.”

The 7-foot-3 center hadn't played since Feb. 26 in a loss at Detroit. His illness began with what he said was an upper respiratory infection that turned into something worse, perhaps bronchitis. He said testing never determined exactly what it was, though he was negative for mononucleosis.

“It was extremely, extremely frustrating just not knowing what I had,” Porzingis said.

He tried to come back for a showdown at home against the Lakers on March 8, pushing himself through a hard workout the day before.

“But then the crash I had was, like, historic the next day,” he said. “I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to shootaround.”

He tried again that night but realized his energy was still so low that he wouldn't help the team. A week later, he said he still didn't feel perfect but good enough to give it a go. Coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game Porzingis had a restriction of about 32 minutes, longer than Porzingis expected to play.

“Today I thought I was going to play like 20 minutes, but Joe told me mid-fourth, he was like, ‘I’m not going to take you out,’” Porzingis said. “So just bite down and let’s go.”

He ended up at 32 after playing the entire period, and had a three-point play and his only 3-pointer on consecutive possessions midway through the quarter that made it 100-92 after the Nets had cut a 21-point deficit to two.

Porzingis came in averaging 18.9 points but has been limited to just 33 games and Saturday was only his fourth game since the All-Star break. Mazzulla said the Latvian has remained optimistic even throughout his absences.

“When he’s able to play, he always plays,” Mazzulla said, “and when he’s not, he does the necessary steps, whether it’s in the weight room, on the court or in the training room to try to put himself in position to play.”

Derrick White (bruised left knee) and Al Horford (sprained left big toe) sat out Saturday on the second night of back-to-back games after the defending NBA champions won in Miami on Friday and clinched a playoff spot. The Celtics then lost Jaylen Brown in the second half to lower back spasms.

But having Porzingis back was good enough to pull them through.

“He’s been really, really sick, dealing with an illness, so just for him to get back and get his rhythm back is good for us, especially at this stretch before the playoffs,” guard Payton Pritchard said. “Get his legs under him.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis (8) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets' Keon Johnson (45) and Ziaire Williams (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks against during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks ahead of Brooklyn Nets' Day'Ron Sharpe during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City and Aston Villa kept the pressure on Premier League leader Arsenal with wins on Sunday.

Nottingham Forest pulled further away from the relegation zone with a 3-0 victory against Tottenham and Sunderland beat Newcastle 1-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby after an own-goal from Nick Woltemade.

Arsenal had extended its lead at the top of the standings to five points with a 2-1 win against Wolves on Saturday. But a day later its closest rivals both responded with victories - second-place City winning 3-0 at Crystal Palace and Villa, in third, twice coming back to beat West Ham 3-2 at the London Stadium.

City is two points behind Arsenal and Villa is a point further back.

Beaten by Palace in the FA Cup final last season, City exacted some revenge to take all three points at Selhurst Park.

Erling Haaland scored his 101st Premier League goal to put City in front late in the first half and he got his second of the match with an 89th-minute penalty. The Norwegian has 36 goals in 27 appearances for club and country in another remarkable scoring season. He is the league's leading scorer with 17 goals.

Phil Foden got City's other goal in between Haaland's double.

Morgan Rogers scored twice in the second half to extend Aston Villa's winning run to nine-straight games and keep Unai Emery's team on the heels of Arsenal and City.

Villa has lost just one of its last 13 games in the league and won 10 of its last 11, but twice had to come from behind at relegation fighting West Ham.

Mateus Fernandes scored the fastest goal in England's top flight this season when putting the home team 1-0 up after just 29 seconds. But Konstantinos Mavropanos' own goal leveled the game eight minutes later.

Jarrod Bowen then gave West Ham the lead at halftime with his second goal in as many games in the 24th.

Rogers leveled the game again five minutes after the break and struck the winner in the 79th.

The pressure is mounting on Tottenham coach Thomas Frank after the latest loss.

Spurs have won just one of their last seven games in the league and face defending champion Liverpool at home next week.

Two goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi at the City Ground put Frank's team on course for another defeat - a sixth in the league this season. Ibrahim Sangare completed a miserable day for the visitors, but a joyous one for Forest, which is five points clear of the relegation zone.

Woltemade endured an agonizing first Tyne-Wear derby since joining Newcastle after his own-goal handed victory to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Germany striker has impressed since his club record $93 million move from Stuttgart in August. But he made himself a hero to Newcastle's fiercest rival Sunderland when heading past Aaron Ramsdale a minute into second half.

To make matters worse, Woltemade was barely a threat at the other end - registering one shot before being replaced by Yoane Wissa in the 75th.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Nottingham Forest's Callum Hudson-Odoi celebrates scoring their side's second goal during their English Premier League soccer match in Nottingham, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade scores Sunderland's first goal of the game, via an own goal during their English Premier League soccer match in Sunderland, England, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Aston Villa in London, England, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City in London, Sunday, Dec.14, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)