Five months ago, Kristaps Porzingis made his “WWE-style” entrance at TD Garden for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. With just under 10 minutes left on the pregame clock and most of the Celtics already warming up on the court, Porzingis appeared on the video board, walking out to the floor. The crowd erupted in a massive ovation.
On Monday night against the Clippers — on a much smaller stage — Porzingis recreated that memorable moment.
As his teammates were out warming up, the video board cut to Porzingis slowly making his way through the hallway and onto the court with a coffee in hand. When the big man emerged from the tunnel, the crowd again gave him a loud, standing ovation.
“KP is a legend. Did you see his walkout?” Jaylen Brown said. “That’s just him. He definitely brings that swagger to our team, that energy.”
It felt like déjà vu, and just as he did five months ago, Porzingis picked up right where he left off following an epic walkout. In his season debut, he finished with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in 23 minutes for Boston, as the Celtics blew out the Clippers with a 32-point win.
“It felt great, honestly,” Porzingis said on his return postgame. “It wasn’t super long, but it was a long rehab, and I was itching to get back out there with this team after winning a championship. And it was a good beginning, good first game back.”
Porzingis, who hasn’t stopped smiling since being traded to Boston, wore that signature grin all night. From the moment he arrived at the stadium to pregame warmups and starting lineup introductions, it was clear he had been waiting for this moment. His teammates shared that same excitement.
“Cookies and Cream is back,” Brown said after the game, smacking the table before him with a smile. “Let’s get it!”
“I think we are a different team with KP out there defensively protecting the rim,” Brown added. “I wanted to see KP making an impact on defense.”
The Celtics, who led the league in blocks per game last season, finished with a season-high 11 blocks. It was their first double-digit block game of the season, and head coach Joe Mazzulla attributed the success to the big man in the middle.
“11 blocks tonight,” Mazzulla said, nodding while looking at the box score. “It helps.”
Porzingis did exactly what he is known for, contributing across multiple areas. He provided elite rim protection, forcing misses with 11 contested shots and two blocks, while also spacing the floor and creating opportunities for his teammates, helping the Celtics knock down 22 three-pointers. And despite joking that he had ‘flat tires’ on both of his lob attempts, he remained a constant lob threat, finishing with four makes in the restricted area.
“JB threw me a lob, Payton threw me a lob — both of them I had flat tires like crazy,” Porzingis said with a smile. “Like, didn’t get up at all. But it was good to be back out there.”
When the Celtics needed a bucket to stop a 13-2 Clippers run, they turned to a familiar security blanket: Porzingis and his dominance in the post.
Last season, Porzingis ranked first in points per possession (1.30), field goal percentage (62.3%), free throw frequency (28.6%), and score frequency among players with at least 1.0 post attempts per game.
With the mismatch against the smaller James Harden, Porzingis simply shot over the helpless defender to put Boston’s offense back on track. On Boston’s very next possession, they went back to Porzinigis in the post. This time, he drew a foul on the 6--foot-7 Amir Coffey and knocked down both free throws.
“It just changes the frequency of the game,” Mazzulla said. “To have that post presence to where you can get different looks is important for us.”
There’s a reason Kristaps Porzingis is known as “The Unicorn.” Standing at 7-foot-2, he can score from anywhere on the floor, which helps open the floor. He can effectively screen, create for others, dominate in the post, and defend just about anyone, thanks to his length and athleticism.
It's no coincidence they had one of their most dominant performances of the season in his first game back.
“I thought he played well,” said Mazzulla. “We were able to get back to some of our defensive versatility. Obviously, a little bit of rim protection, a little bit more physicality on the ball because he was back there, so I thought he brought that. Offensively, he just really helped our spacing. So it was good to get him back.”
Porzingis takes a team already on a 60-win pace to another level—a frightening prospect for the rest of the NBA—as the Celtics are beginning to resemble their most dominant form.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to be the best version of ourselves,” Mazzulla said. “We have an understanding of what that looks like when we’re at our best. We’re slowly getting there.”
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