When a team is struggling — especially one with the lofty expectations of the Celtics — it’s easy for the positive signs to get overshadowed.
As the Celtics entered Wednesday night’s matchup against the Bulls with an 8-6 record in January (2-3 at home), the conversation mainly had been centered on their inconsistency and the underlying issues driving it.
It’s understandable. After finishing December at 8-6 — their most losses in a month since March 2023 — they repeated that mark in January, continuing eight weeks of up-and-down play.
However, in Boston’s 122-100 win over the Bulls, Boston’s biggest (quite literally) bright spot of the last month was hard to miss.
Kristaps Porzingis erupted for a season-high 34 points — his most since February 9, 2024 — on a very efficient 10-of-18 (55.6%) shooting from the field. He tied his career-high with eight made three-pointers, setting a Celtics franchise record for a player 6-foot-10 or taller, hitting 57.1% from beyond the arc.
Porzingis also contributed 11 rebounds (matching his season-high), three steals (tying his season-high), and three assists in just 33 minutes. He joined Antoine Walker as the only players in franchise history to record at least 33 points, 11 rebounds, eight threes, and three steals in a game en route to his fourth double-double of the month.
“It’s tough. It’s scary. When KP’s shooting the ball like that with confidence, that opens it up for everybody else,” Jaylen Brown said on Porzingis’ big night. “That’s what I like to see. KP had a great game tonight.”
In what’s become a familiar pattern, he wasted no time making an impact. After a turnover on the first possession, he responded by knocking down back-to-back shots on the next two trips down the court, finishing the opening quarter with 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting (3-of-4 from three). In January, Porzingis is averaging 8.7 points per game in the first quarter (sixth-most in the NBA), shooting 65.5% from the field and 68.0% from beyond the arc. Both percentages are the highest among players averaging at least eight first-quarter points this month.
“I enjoy having these hot starts, getting the team off to a good start,” Porzingis said. “I look forward to keeping this momentum going.”
Porzingis’ shortest three-point attempt was 27 feet on Wednesday night, and he still shot 57.1%, a ridiculous luxury for a 7-foot-3 center, living up to his namesake as “The Unicorn.” In January, he’s shooting an incredible 50.7% from deep, a career-high for any month with at least five games played. The red-hot shooting has bumped his season average up to 42.1%, a career-high.
“He’s just been great on both ends of the floor,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Obviously, offensively, he handles a lot of different cross-matches, and he’s gotten so much better at that. His screening versus different coverages. I think he’s playing with a great level of physicality, and defensively, he’s getting better at some of the different coverages that we have. He’s been great. It’s great to see him kind of have a game like he did tonight and for us.”
Porzingis is also making his mark defensively as a rim protector. Although he didn’t register any blocks, his 7-foot-3 frame was a key factor in limiting the Bulls to 42.9% shooting in the restricted area — 23.2% below the league average. In January, opponents are shooting 59.9% from within five feet of the rim (26th).
“He’s 7-foot-4, athletic, and has pretty good timing. Even the ones he doesn’t block – they are shooting high off the glass or thinking about it a little bit,” said Derrick White. “He definitely does a lot of us.”
It’s easy to overlook amid the inconsistencies and adjustments — which partly come with integrating Porzingis — but he’s playing some of the best basketball in a Celtics uniform.
Of course, he won’t produce at this level every night. However, if he continues to exploit mismatches, punish switches, and make defenses pay when they double Jayson Tatum — like the Bulls did on Wednesday — the Celtics will be in a great position. As they start to find their rhythm, with a healthy and confident Porzingis leading the way, the sky’s the limit.
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