BOSTON — While all signs pointed to Kristaps Porzingis making his return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, there was still some curiosity when it came to the big man’s potential impact. Porzingis himself sounded unsure during the process, saying they would have to see when it came to his play after sitting more than a month.
But Porzingis looked like his best self from the moment he touched the court Thursday at TD Garden. He scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter alone as he was seemingly everywhere. If he wasn’t knocking down a jumper then he was altering a shot on the other end. Porzingis finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in his 21 minutes, shooting 8-for-13 from the field.
And in an interesting twist, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla elected to roll with Porzingis off the bench instead of his usual starting role. That was a slight surprise as Al Horford once again got the start. But clearly, the move helped unlock Porzingis as he was all about the strategic decision. Porzingis’ fast start helped the Celtics to the 107-89 win over the Mavericks to take the 1-0 series lead.
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“We had a conversation and just came up to me,” Porzingis said. “I know he knew I was going to be fine with whatever. So he just told me, ‘what do you think, like about this,’ and I said, ‘Of course, like, let’s do it.’ And that’s it. Wasn’t no big deal and I trust Joe and he trusts me.”
Before Thursday’s victory, Porzingis had come off the bench just one other time in his career, all the way back in his second season in the NBA. So clearly, there was an adjustment that needed to be made compared to what Porzingis has experienced through the rest of his career.
But Porzingis was also all about the decision, saying he didn’t care if he came off the bench or not. So instead of having Porzingis amped up for the start of the game, he could at least check out the vibes of Game 1 of the Finals. After all, this is the deepest in the playoffs Porzingis has suited up in a game; before Thursday, he had only played in first-round games in his career.
While Mazzulla said Porzingis wasn’t on a minutes restriction, they didn’t need to rely too heavily on the big man Thursday. The Celtics also won in blowout fashion, so there wasn’t as much pressure to play Porzingis heavy minutes throughout the game. So while it might not go as perfectly as it did in Game 1, the Celtics will hope Porzingis can build on his great play to start the series.
“It’s hard to say because like all these thoughts like went through my mind in that moment,” Porzingis said. “I want to say I’m fine, but obviously I haven’t played, I haven’t been out there, I haven’t had the feel of like am I a 100%? But tonight was an affirmation to myself, no, that I’m pretty good. Maybe I’m not perfect, but I’m pretty good and I can play like this and I can definitely add to this team.”
