Sans Porzingis, Luke Kornet Shines in Game 1 Win vs. Cavs: 'We Need Him'

Rob Greene | May 8, 2024

Mar 18, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) reacts after a play. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics started the second round without skipping a beat, dominating the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 to go up 1-0 in the series.

Boston took over the second half maintaining their lead by double-digits and later taking a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. Their championship-level defense entered the scene as Cleveland shot just 41 percent from the field and 29 percent from three. Donovan Mitchell kept his momentum going as of late with 33 points on 12-25 from the field, but Evan Mobley and Darius Garland only combined for 31 points.

Derrick White continued to perform like one of the best players this postseason for the Celtics with 25 points, five assists on 7-12 from three. White is the only player shooting 50/40/90 these playoffs, the most threes made over a six-game span in Celtics history, now with the highest three-point percentage in NBA Playoff history through 15 games. His 20 threes made are the fifth most over a three-game span in Playoff history as well. His rise and evolution continues to be an incredible story, proving to be one of the greatest trades in Celtics history on the path to their championship pursuit.

Jaylen Brown also kept up his hot play, with 32 points on 12-18 from the field.

Luke Kornet answered the call with the big man needed in a big role in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, as Kornet brought down 10 rebounds in 21 minutes and altered plays around the rim as a threat defensively underneath to Mobley and others and a lob threat for Boston’s ball-handlers, like White, Brown and Jrue Holiday, who had his biggest scoring playoff game as a Celtic thus far.

Joe Mazzulla credited Kornet’s efforts postgame, as he showed the readiness he has all season long as one of Boston’s best stories in their title-chase.

“Tremendous,” Mazzulla said of Kornet. “Him, Payton, X, Sam, those guys. Great minutes by all those guys. Luke started that off. But it goes back to moments of the regular season. You can’t be a good team unless those guys win you games. And they’ve all played a huge part in winning games. Whether it’s four in five nights, back-to-backs, doesn’t matter—they bring it. And it’s important to have guys like that, and I thought Luke’s presence was big for us tonight.”

Celtics showed glimpses of Xavier Tillman run with Al Horford as well, with Tillman having good experience against the Cavs’ big lineup on the defensive end. Brown also shined light on Kornet being Boston’s biggest standout in Game 1.

“I thought Luke was exceptional when he came in; he was great,” Brown said. “He came in (and) he added value to the second group. He contested shots at the rim, he rebounded, and he made timely plays on offense. And he's been working all year. He's had some injuries, up and down, but Luke has been tremendous for our team, and he brings great energy. We need him to continue to do that and step up and keep it on a roll and continue to make plays; that's huge.”

Kornet has made a loud impact within Boston’s second unit all season long. The Celtics front office knowing what they had in the seven-footer as a staple of the lineup stability-wise that makes the depth and flexibility of the team click has been one of the best elements to their historic season. Especially with the transformation of the roster. Some question was in play of how deep Boston’s front court was after moving Robert Williams to start training camp, Kornet’s strides have answered the call this season as a great rotation piece. A stellar fill-in for Horford and Kristaps Porzingis.

“One, he just sees and reads the game,” Brown said. “He's an intelligent basketball player. He knows the right reads in the right time, and when he's playing well, he's not thinking he's just out there playing. He's a seven-footer, so he can test shots at the rim. He does a good job of just doing his job day in and day out, and that's what we need. So, Luke has been a great ad; he's been a great benefit this whole year. But looking forward to him to step up and make big plays in the playoffs with Porzingis being out.”

Further Reading

Shooting Struggles Not Preventing Jayson Tatum from Positive Impact: 'They'll Fall'

Derrick White Discusses Joining Elite Company in Game 1 Win vs. Cavaliers

Jaylen Brown Leads Celtics to Tone-Setting Win in Game 1 vs. Cavaliers

Celtics Detail Challenge of Containing Donovan Mitchell: 'No Friends in the Playoffs'

Celtics Size Up Cavaliers: 'More Offensive Firepower'

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Target Date to Rejoin Celtics' Playoff Run: 'Doing Everything I Can'

Maturity a Source of Confidence for Celtics: 'We're Graduating'

The Latest on Celtics' Center Kristaps Porzingis' Calf Injury Timetable