As Kristaps Porzingis stepped onto the TD Garden parquet for pregame warmups in his first game back after a four-game absence due to a calf injury, his face lit up with that broad smile, and in his hand, he held a refreshing Diet Coke.
For Celtics fans, the true satisfaction on Friday night came not from a beverage but from Porzingis' return to the lineup.
The 7-foot-2 big man made his presence immediately felt, scoring Boston’s first eight points and knocking down his first seven shots en route to a 19-point first half.
The Latvian native finished the night with 21 points on 7-of-13 (53.8%) shooting from the field and 3-of-6 (50%) beyond the arc. Additionally, he recorded three boards, an assist, and two steals – but his impact extends far beyond mere box score statistics.
It was evident Boston missed Porzingis during his absence, and to no surprise, the offense was humming in a way we haven’t seen since Porzingis went down.
The Celtics dropped 133 points in the win- their second-highest total this season while shooting 52.7% from the floor and 40.4% from deep, posting a 134.3 offensive rating.
Furthermore, Boston turned the ball over just seven times, tying their season-low.
Entering Friday night the Celtics had totaled at least 16 turnovers in three consecutive games, and at least 12 in each of the four games Porzingis had missed.
Boston’s offense was much more organized Friday night, which is not entirely due to Porzingis but is certainly a direct result.
“You got to see a glimpse of the identity of what our team can look like on a nightly basis,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame.
Porzingis' off-ball movement and decision-making significantly contribute to the team's organization. His ability to work as a screener and a spacer of the floor opens things up for Boston’s offense, providing a little bit more variety.
“He’s just a threat,” Jaylen Brown said postgame. “He just adds another huge threat to our offense. Him just being 7-foot-3, setting screens, getting off threes, and being able to shoot the ball, makes teams have to make decisions which opens up my game, which opens up D-White’s game, everybody's game. So, KP being on the floor, him just being there is a threat.”
Go back and listen to any member of the Celtics talk about Porzingis. Every single one of them mentions how much easier things are when the big man is on the floor.
“He’s special,” Derrick White said postgame. “A guy that size who can do the things he can do on both sides of the ball, it’s a great weapon to have. Obviously, he started the game off knocking down a couple of threes, getting to the paint. He can do literally anything on the basketball court, and having him back out there was huge for us.”
According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics have posted a 119.2 offensive rating with Porzingis on the floor this season, which would be good for third-best in the league. As a team, the Celtics have posted a 117.5 offensive rating, which is sixth.
Jrue Holiday was a direct beneficiary of Porzingis’ return to the lineup, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-11 (63.6%) shooting. Four of Holiday’s seven makes came in the paint, as he found some offensive production by being aggressive around the rim.
“I think the matchups change once Kristaps is out there. Everyone slides down, and there is a different matchup there,” Mazzulla said postgame when discussing Holiday’s aggressiveness. “So he [Holiday] was able to take advantage of a smaller guard on him.”
Friday night marked just the 12th time this season the Celtics had their preferred starting five of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Porzingis, with Boston advancing to 11-1 in those games.
Porzingis is the perfect complement to Boston’s stars and truly elevates Boston’s offense to another level. His health will be vital as Boston looks to raise Banner 18.
As for the calf, Porzingis said it felt “good” and that there was no tightness.
“Felt good to be back out there,” Porzingis said. “Was itching to get back out there with my guys and happy about getting back and beating a good team like the Knicks.”
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