After being out for five months, Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut for the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday evening.
The nine-year veteran was in the starting lineup and quickly tried to make an impact, scoring Boston’s first basket and shooting four three-pointers within the first four minutes of the game. In the Celtics’ 126–94 victory, he finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and perhaps most importantly, two blocks in 23 minutes.
Porzingis’ return was originally reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The two-metre-tall center has had a lengthy recovery after undergoing surgery on his ankle in June. The surgery repaired a torn retina and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon – a rare ankle injury Porzingis suffered during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Porzingis missed Games 3 and 4 of the Finals with the injury, but was later available on a limited basis for Game 5. Boston went on to win the NBA Championship with a final 4–1 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Latvian big man has missed the first 17 games of the season while recovering from surgery. Boston is off to a 14-3 start after the NBA Championship, good for second in the Eastern Conference, but will certainly get a boost from Porzingis’ return.
