WATCH: Porzingis gets standing ovation in return after injury appeared originally on NBC Sports Boston
The TD Garden crowd gave Kristaps Porzingis a warm welcome after his injury before Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Boston Celtics big man took the floor for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals while playing with a foot injury that required offseason surgery. He received a warm welcome from the fans on the field during warm-ups and received a standing ovation during the introduction of the players.
Watch both moments below:
Porzingis’ season debut came a month earlier than expected. The original timetable for the 29-year-old’s recovery had him returning around Christmas Day.
A healthy Porzingis, a key part of the 2024 NBA Championship roster, will add a big boost to Boston’s frontcourt. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks per game last season. In the playoffs, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor.
Porzingis had a successful debut on Monday, scoring 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go along with six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 22 minutes of Boston’s 126-94 win.
The Celtics were doing just fine without Porzingis with a 14-3 record entering Monday night. With Porzingis at full strength, it will be difficult for any team to stop them in their quest to repeat.