Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points with eight rebounds and four blocks in his season debut with the team. His performance was key in a highly encouraging 108-104 win over the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
“That was awesome, I’m not going to lie,” Porzingis said after defeating his old team. “Playing here at the Garden is always special as the home team, obviously, but also on the road here it’s really fun. At one point it got really crazy when the fans got into it and they made the comeback. But we stayed poised, we stayed calm and we were able to finish out the game. Overall, a fun game to play in, for sure.”
The Celtics acquired Porzingis in June through a trade with the Washington Wizards, in which they sent away longtime point guard Marcus Smart and role player Tyus Jones. Some fans questioned the trade at the time, in part because of the fanbase’s connection to Smart, but Porzingis is already doing his part in keeping Boston in the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had plenty to praise about Porzingis’ performance after the game.
“He has an innate ability to put two on the ball, whether they’re trying to pop and veer, whether they’re trying to blitz him, and so when he gets the space, he’s a magnet,” Mazzulla said. “So we just have to continue to get better at our spacing, get better at our 2-on-1 reads, and they’re going to look different than they did at times last year with him on the floor. But, because of him, we can get to some more post ups like we did down the stretch and really change the spacing of the game.”
The main drawback for most of Porzingis’ career has been injuries, which have sidelined him at various points and prevented him from becoming a bona fide star. In his last season with Washington, however, he never missed significant time, an encouraging sign for Boston fans hoping that he is the last piece in their seemingly eternal quest for an 18th championship.
