Kristaps Porziņģis Fully Back from Injury as Celtics Grow More Versatile

BOSTON — Brad Stevens, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics’ watched as Kristaps Porziņģis played through a 32-minute scrimmage one week ago opposite of Xavier Tillman Sr., who volunteered to help him out. After he teared through the Maine Celtics, looking like Porziņģis, Joe Mazzulla learned he’d have his starting center back in one week. More than one month earlier than expected.

“With him, you’re able to play different,” Mazzulla said before his return. “We obviously switch less, keep the matchups a little bit different. We haven’t had as much versatility with him out, so we’ll look to have a little bit more versatility and expect him to start impacting that tonight.”

He did that through 22 minutes, looking rusty only briefly before finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks when he checked out early in the fourth quarter with Boston ahead by 21 points. The Celtics’ bench did heavy lifting in the second and third quarters to build and maintain that advantage over LA, winning 126-94, but Porziņģis provided the size, skill and shooting that the starters needed and no other Boston big could replicate. And now he’s here to stay.

The Celtics fed Porzingis four three-point attempts over their first seven possessions, missing four and losing the ball on a high post entry on the fifth. Boston started 1-of-10 from deep as a team, only needing that much time to build rhythm before unloading an avalanche on LA between the closing minutes of the first quarter and a season record 51-point second. Neemias Queta, returning from his DNP-CD against the Timberwolves, played a 10-minute stretch during that time, blocking two shots in roaming position while adding four points, five rebounds and three assists in relief. Payton Pritchard joined him off the bench, opening 4-of-7 from three.

“It felt like nothing, like boom, I’m back in the lineup,” Porziņģis said. “It was a pretty smooth transition last year when I started playing for the first time, and then once we found a little bit of rhythm … it’s been very natural … guys know my name now, even me, being out now for a little bit at the beginning of the season, it was very natural for me to be back out in the starting lineup … we don’t over-communicate these things. We just go out there and play.”

Queta mirrored Porziņģis’ defensive role while playing away from Kevin Porter Jr. with the second unit, while playing as a high post hub on offense more than he had all year previously. The Celtics took 20 of their first 29 shots behind the three-point line, and after their slow start, unleashed a 13-of-19 onslaught from deep over the Clippers before Porziņģis returned for a six-minute closing stint midway through the second.

Jaylen Brown found his friend for a back line cutting dunk shortly after Porziņģis passed up a pair of looks to feed Derrick White for threes. Guarding Kris Dunn inside as the shot clock expired, Porziņģis caught the Clippers guard’s attempt at a last-second layup with both hands. Later in the frame, he poured back a Brown three-point miss and stuffed James Harden as he stepped into his floater.

“We’re a different team with KP out there defensively,” Brown said. “Him protecting the rim and defense is key for us. I think we took our foot off the gas in the third quarter, and we’ll work on that, but when we’re locked in playing defense like how we started the game and in that second quarter, it’s gonna be tough for teams. We just gotta keep that mentality, and that’s what I wanna see from guys. I wanna see KP making an impact on defense.”

The threes kept falling, Tatum’s pull-up look before halftime vaulting Boston to 16-of-34 from three as the Celtics’ lead mounted to 32. Stevens, speaking on the NBC Sports Boston broadcast, predicted the advantage would dwindle, and it did. The threes shut off into the second half, Boston closing 6-of-17 from deep after starting the second half 0-for-8 from the field. LA broke off a 22-8 run before Mazzulla called timeout eight minutes into the quarter, instead sprinkling in Porziņģis face-ups that set up free throws against Amir Coffey and a blow-by drive past Ivica Zubac. The Clippers’ big also tested Porziņģis physically with an early post-up, missing the first of 18 tries around the rim. LA only made nine before halftime (50%) and finished 51.5% inside five feet. Boston’s opponents had converted over 65% there prior to Monday, the Celtics falling from ranking third in 2024 to 24th.

Pritchard, who hit back-to-back threes to close the third and stabilize the league, recalled being able to play more aggressively with Porziņģis playing behind the perimeter defense. Holiday discussed the same last week, as did Brown on Monday, picking up Harden full-court in the first half. Queta and Porziņģis could play together some when Horford returns, and Horford will inevitably play alongside Porziņģis as he did throughout last year. It’s a welcome addition for the defense, while the offensive difference happened so seamlessly that Porziņģis poured in an alley-oop before he finished his night in the fourth with a flat tire, as he called his awkward leap. He could’ve played longer in a closer game, and doesn’t project to need any management beyond back-to-back rest nights.

Porziņģis — after the surprise of his early return date — announced he’s back in full, save for his rhythm, amazingly calling this one of his easiest injury rehabs physically. Now that it’s finished, at 15-3, it can somehow get better for both Boston and Porziņģis with the ceremonial aspect of his return finished.

“First game back, timing on the jump, catching a flat tire here and there and stuff, it’s normal,” Porziņģis said. “I didn’t shoot the ball well. That kind of a matchup for me, we run one pick-and-roll and I’m wide open to shoot a three. I just didn’t knock it down tonight, but those kind of games, a lot of times, the points come very easy to me, so from that perspective I can definitely improve.”