BOSTON — The vitality within the constructing was palpable from the second TD Backyard’s doorways first cracked open.
On the second night time of a Celtics back-to-back, and after lacking the primary 17 video games of the NBA season, Kristaps Porzingis was slated to make his highly-anticipated return.
“I’ve been trying ahead to this all day,” stated one of many enviornment’s safety guards at 4:30 pm, greater than three hours earlier than tip-off vs the Clippers.
“Now the season actually begins,” stated one other.
In some methods, Porzingis’s return got here as a shock. Only a day earlier, Joe Mazzulla wouldn’t reveal whether or not the large man was cleared for basketball motion, and preliminary timelines positioned his return someday in December.
Plus, the Celtics didn’t want him again, no less than not on paper. The defending champions entered Monday night time with the NBA’s second-best report (14-3), and having outscored opponents by 9.4 factors per recreation, the third-best mark within the league.
Every thing was on observe. Whereas backup heart Neemias Queta confronted some defensive hiccups, he and Luke Kornet had collectively gotten the job finished in Porzingis’s absence.
However, why maintain off if he was able to go? Porzingis scrimmaged with the Maine Celtics final week, and once more in Washington DC on Friday, Brad Stevens confirmed on NBC Sports activities Boston’s broadcast on Monday night time.
And, Porzingis himself revelead he had constantly been forward of his rehab schedule since his June surgical procedure.
“I used to be forward of it on a regular basis,” stated a beaming Porzingis postgame. “I used to be itching to do extra — begin extra sprints, contact, 1-on-1. I used to be all the time asking the medical workers to do extra.”
So, 5 months after surgical procedure to restore a torn medial retinaculum in his left leg, the 7’2 Latvian heart — described by Jayson Tatum as a “cheat code” final week — was again in motion.
In his 23-minute return, Porzingis scored 16 factors on 6-12 taking pictures, grabbed 6 rebounds, and blocked 2 pictures. He dramatically altered the Clippers’ paint makes an attempt, serving to anchor a visibly improved Celtics protection that held Los Angeles to simply 94 factors, all whereas reminding town of Boston of his multi-faceted impression on the offensive finish.
However, maybe much more important than his on-court impression, Porzingis infused the Celtics with vitality and pleasure. When he got here out on the ground for pregame warmups, he emphatically pointed his fist towards the keen crowd, lingering a couple of further moments in entrance of the bleachers to absorb the ocean of inexperienced.
All through the sport, he might hardly sit nonetheless on the bench, rising to his toes to have fun Neemias Queta dunks and Payton Pritchard threes, treating every basket as if it was a game-winner. He rapidly illustrated how his rim deterrence and skill to stretch the ground will impression the staff, but additionally reminded the world that it’s largely his charisma and vitality that made town of Boston fall in love with him.
After the Celtics’ 126-94 win, Joe Mazzulla was requested whether or not he felt Porzingis supplied the staff with an emotional elevate.
“No query. He’s only a high-level persona,” Mazzulla stated. “We constructed an id with him final 12 months. The fellows had been excited to get him again, we had been able to have him again. Between his persona — after which every man likes enjoying with him due to how he performs.”
Jaylen Brown echoed that sentiment, and credited Porzingis with serving to him get one in every of his first profitable back-door cuts of the season.
“He’s all the time on the lookout for me,” Brown stated, who’s friendship with Porzingis has been well-chronicled. “I used to get a back-cut a number of instances each recreation, simple baskets that assist get you going. I perhaps acquired one or two this entire season. However KP coming again? I get one within the first play.”
Brown, usually all enterprise on the podium, broke into a smile and declared “Cookies and Cream is again!” in the midst of his postgame press convention.
Kristaps Porzingis’s dramatic entrance set the tone for the night time
Porzingis didn’t enter the ground with the remainder of the Celtics earlier than tip-off. As an alternative, he practically glided out 10 minutes later, recreating his well-known WWE-style entrance from Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals.
As he made his manner by way of the gamers’ tunnel, and fist-bumped staff personnel with a drink in hand, the Backyard crowd raucously cheered, eyes glued to the jumbotron.
“Did you see his stroll out?” Brown stated when requested about Porzingis’s emotional impression on the staff. “That’s simply him. He brings that swagger to our staff, that vitality. It was nice to have him again on the market.”
Payton Pritchard, who continued his Sixth Man of the 12 months marketing campaign with a 20-point, 4-assist outing — referred to as the large man’s return “wonderful.”
“The walk-out was unbelievable,” stated Pritchard. “That energized us.”
Fittingly, Porzingis hit the Celtics’ first shot of the night time. He additionally tried Boston’s first three discipline objectives, although Mazzulla stated that wasn’t by design, however fairly a results of his gamers’ making the precise learn.
The truth is that the Celtics in all probability would have received with out Porzingis, too. A 51-point second quarter, headlined by 12 three-pointers, blew the sport open. Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Brown, Pritchard, and Queta all scored within the double-figures, whereas the Celtics bench shot 10 of 15 from three on the night time.
However, Porzingis’s presence made this win really feel completely different. The excitement round his return didn’t appear to be a short lived vitality, however fairly one thing that might loom over the staff shifting ahead.
Jaylen Brown maybe captured the sensation greatest.
“KP is a legend,” he stated.
