Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics ‘Hit Another Gear’ To Snap Two-Game Skid

The Boston Celtics uncharacteristically dropped back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks in a span of four days.

Boston bounced back by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, 104-92, on Saturday.

“We want to be a hungry team no matter what,” Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin after the win. “We haven’t done anything and back-to-back losses to Atlanta … that’s not our DNA. It just didn’t sit right with us. We came out here tonight and got us a dub.”

At 58-16, the Celtics have the NBA’s best overall record and have clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the postseason.

Porzingis knows teams fighting for playoff spots will bring everything they have at Boston. New Orleans did just that, hanging around in the first half. Ahead by two at the half, the Celtics pulled away in the third quarter and led by double digits the rest of the way.

“We just knew we couldn’t be in cruise control,” he said. “These teams are hungry. They need wins. Maybe at this point of the season, we don’t need them as much, but still, we want to come out here and compete at a high level every night. Once we hit another gear, the game just flipped.”

Porzingis had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the Celtics win over the Pelicans. Boston’s big man dropped 20 points against the Hawks on Thursday night but felt he wasn’t as effective as he was against the Pelicans.

“I feel like last game, I didn’t play up to my level on all aspects of the game,” Porzingis said. “And even tonight, the three ball wasn’t falling for me, but there are so many ways me and us as a team can impact the game if things aren’t going perfectly for us, and that’s what I did tonight. I just turned it up another notch. That’s all we’re going to ned the rest of this regular season and then even more in the postseason.”

The Celtics close out their six-game road trip when they face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. Tip-off from Spectrum Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.