The Boston Celtics missed a large piece of their offensive puzzle for much of the Eastern Conference semifinals, as big man Kristaps Porziņģis was severely limited while dealing with post-viral syndrome. If that sounds vague, it’s because the ailment is somewhat of a nebulous medical diagnosis.
Porziņģis missed eight games from late February to early March due to an upper respiratory illness. Days after the Celtics’ season-ending loss to the New York Knicks, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the lingering effects of Porziņģis’ virus hindered him in the postseason.
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Here’s a closer look at the causes and effects of the health condition that kept the Latvian star from playing at his usual level:
What is post-viral syndrome?
Post-viral syndrome (PVS) is a chronic health issue that occurs after a person has recovered from a viral infection. Symptoms include persistent fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, per the Virginia Department of Health. Long COVID is a recent example of PVS.
Essentially, PVS will make you feel drained and weak after your immune system fights off a viral illness. It can last for days or months, and even people at peak health can struggle to shake the nagging symptoms. Porziņģis, 29, said in March that he laid at home for a week trying to recover following his initial bout of illness.
“And then after that, I still had lingering fatigue,” he said on March 15. “And, I still have it a little bit, but at least now, I’m getting into, more or less, shape to be able to play. But yeah, after each workout, I was — boom, big crash. So, I was really, really fatigued. Not normal. It was extremely, extremely frustrating not knowing what I had. I haven’t been this sick, probably ever, in my life.”
What causes PVS?
Typical triggers include the common cold, the flu, COVID-19, pneumonia and Epstein-Barr, which is the primary cause of mononucleosis.
While the Celtics didn’t share details surrounding Porziņģis’ respiratory illness, they did confirm it was not COVID-19.
Recovering from PVS
There isn’t a specific cure for PVS, but medical professionals typically recommend rest, maintaining a balanced diet, low-impact exercise and increased fluid intake, per British healthcare organization North Bristol NHS Trust.
How was Porziņģis impacted?
During the regular season, Porziņģis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 28.9 minutes.
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Through the postseason, his average playing time dropped to 21 minutes. Porziņģis exceeded 20 minutes of playing time only once during the Eastern Conference semifinals, and coach Joe Mazzulla said the center missed the second half of Game 5 against the Knicks because “he couldn’t breathe.”
Porziņģis averaged 12 points and 5.8 rebounds versus the Orlando Magic in the first round, but he managed just 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds against the Knicks in an average of 15.5 minutes over six games.
When will he next play?
Stevens said Porziņģis will play for Latvia in the European Basketball Championship, EuroBasket, beginning in late August. Latvia will face Turkey in group play on Aug. 27.
“In the middle of a playoff series where you play every other day, it’s not an ideal situation in terms of feeling better, especially with the travel and everything else and the amount of physical force these guys put on their bodies,” Stevens said. “Our expectation is that it’ll probably be — the next couple weeks will do him good to be off. He’s going to play for Latvia. I think that’s a good thing. I think it’s good to be playing in Eurobasket, and I’m sure it’ll be well cleared up by then.”
(Top photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
