Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis made a strong return to the court on Monday, scoring 16 points and grabbing six rebounds in over 22 minutes of play during a decisive 126-94 victory against the LA Clippers.
Porziņģis quickly reminded his teammates of his impact, showcasing his defensive prowess late in the second half. When Clippers guard Kris Dunn attempted a dunk, the 7-foot-2 Latvian thwarted the effort with a spectacular two-handed block. Moments later, Porziņģis thrilled the TD Garden crowd by catching an alley-oop from Jaylen Brown, further demonstrating his offensive skills.
“It was a good beginning. Good first game back,” Porziņģis said after the game.
The former All-Star had been sidelined for an extended period due to surgery on June 27 to repair a torn retinaculum and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. Initially expected to miss five to six months, Porziņģis made a quicker-than-anticipated return, just under five months post-surgery. He had sustained the injury during Game 2 of the NBA Finals and had hoped to postpone surgery until after the Finals and Latvia’s Olympic campaign. Ultimately, he missed the 2024 Olympics but focused on recovery for the current season.
Before his injury, Porziņģis played in the Celtics’ last game of the 2023-24 season, contributing five points and one rebound in 16 minutes during their championship-clinching victory over the Miami Heat. He had also faced setbacks earlier in the playoffs, missing Game 3 with a dislocated tendon in his left ankle and playing a limited role in Game 4.
Last season, Porziņģis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range across 57 games. He participated in the Celtics’ first four playoff games of the 2024 season before suffering a right calf injury that kept him out until Monday’s season opener.
With this win, the Celtics improved to 14-3, placing them second in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston has played the fewest games in the league against teams with winning records, having faced only three such opponents. They will take on the 11-7 Clippers and the 17-1 Cavaliers this week, marking their third and fourth matchups against top-10 defensive teams this season.
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