Kristaps Porzingis, shortly after conducting a candid one-on-one interview with NBA.com regarding his regrets, played his former team in Washington on Friday night, where there were plenty of visiting Knicks fans in the building.
After New York finished off a 112-108 win, Porzingis was making his way across the court when fans sitting close by yelled, “Come back to the Knicks!” Porzingis tuned and smiled, and raised his eyebrows a couple times, which had Knicks Twitter buzzing that Porzingis actually would want to return.
Porzingis of course signed a five-year deal with the Mavericks after requesting a trade from the Knicks, and that contract doesn’t expire until 2024. So he would have to be traded, and with New York getting plenty of defensive efficiency from Mitchell Robinson, recently signing Isaiah Hartenstein, and developing Jericho Sims, a return to the Knicks seems highly unlikely. But Porzingis told NBA.com earlier this week that he would have handled his trade request differently, and says Madison Square Garden is still the most special place he has ever played.
Porzingis struggled on Friday night, shooting 31.6 percent from the floor and finishing with 21 points, but on the season, is averaging 21.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field.
But his biggest impact on the night was on the fans that wanted him back in New York.
“Did you see that?” one fan said to another after seeing Porzingis’ reaction. “He’s coming back!”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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