Kristaps Porzingis had to sit out the first month of the NBA season after having ankle surgery in the offseason.
However, during his season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, he quickly reminded his Boston Celtics teammates of what they’ve been missing.
Late in the second half, while the Clippers were on offense, Kris Dunn drove for a dunk attempt, but Porzingis, who is 7-foot-2, blocked the shot with two hands, sending the ball back to the floor.
A few moments later, Porzingis showed off his skills on the offensive end. He caught an alley-oop pass from teammate Jaylen Brown and dunked it, earning cheers from the crowd at TD Garden.
“It was a good beginning. Good first game back,” Porzingis said.
He finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in 23 minutes, as the Celtics won 126-94.
This was Porzingis’ first game since he had surgery in June to repair a tear in the tissue that holds the tendons in his left ankle. This injury had limited him to just seven games during the Celtics’ playoff run last season.
Porzingis mentioned that he started feeling ready to play about a month ago.
“I was always asking the medical staff to do more,” Porzingis said. “But we were really smart and completed all of the stages to get to this point.”
His teammates made sure to get him involved right away, feeding him the ball on their first two possessions. Porzingis made a three-pointer from the wing on the Celtics’ first possession, and then made another three from the top of the key on their next trip down the floor.
He played nearly seven minutes in the first quarter before being replaced by Neemias Queta at the 5:12 mark.
The Celtics are 15-3 this season, but they have missed his presence inside, as teams have often outscored them in the paint.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that Porzingis’ offensive game, especially when he operates from the high and low post, will require some adjustment for the team, as they’ve been playing without him so far this season. But Mazzulla was most pleased with Porzingis’ defensive impact, where he helped the team with his shot-blocking ability.
“We had 11 blocks tonight. It helps,” Mazzulla said.
When Porzingis first had his surgery, the expected recovery time was five to six months. However, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said before the season that they didn’t want to stick to a strict timeline because the injury was unique.
“We got here maybe a month early,” Porzingis said. “Honestly, I felt better than I expected.”
Porzingis had hurt his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next two games. He returned for Game 5, scoring five points and grabbing one rebound in 16 minutes to help the Celtics clinch their 18th title with a 106-88 win over Dallas.
“To have big fella back, it makes us complete,” said Celtics teammate Payton Pritchard.
