BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis has played one game for the Boston Celtics and has already etched his name in the franchise’s history books. The man known as the “Unicorn” set a franchise record for the most points scored in a Celtics debut, and hit the biggest shot of the evening in Boston’s 108-104 victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Porzingis scored 30 points in his C’s debut, hitting eight of his 15 shots from the floor while going 5-for-9 from downtown. He got off to a scorching start in Green, pouring in 15 points in the first quarter to help Boston build a 12-point lead.
But the Celtics coughed up their double-digit edge in the second half and the Knicks led by six points with 3:38 to play in the fourth quarter. The 7-foot-3 Porzingis stepped up again and saved the day, hitting clutch free throws and a massive three to give Boston the lead with 90 seconds left.
With the game tied at 101-101, following a Jrue Holiday layup and four freebies from Porzingis, the big man ran a perfect pick-and-pop with Jayson Tatum. He took the feed from Tatum behind the arc and calmly drained a go-ahead three to give Boston the lead for good. He hit two more free throws a minute later to seal the victory over his former team.
Porzingis never seemed to mind as New York fans showered him with boos and other R-rated chants throughout the contest. It just fueled him more, and he used it to torch the team that originally drafted him in 2015.
The big man did a lot of everything Wednesday night. His full offensive array was on display, with Porzingis not just hitting threes but also rolling to the rim. Four of his makes came under the basket, including a nice alley-oop from Derrick White early in the first quarter for his first points in a Celtics uniform. He also got to the charity stripe 10 times, and knocked down nine of those freebies.
The 30 points by Porzingis surpassed the 25 points that Dominque Wilkins scored in his Celtics debut in 1994, which also came against the New York Knicks.
His defense was also a giant factor for Boston, with Porzingis rejecting four shots and imposing his will around the rim. The Knicks were just 11-for-34 in the paint for the game, with Porzingis constantly using his lengthy frame to change shots and make the Knicks feel uncomfortable. When Porzingis contested a shot on Wednesday night, the Knicks were just 3-for-15.
In addition to attaching his name to some Celtics history, Porzingis also became the first player in NBA history with five threes and four blocks in a team debut.
He won’t have these kinds of performances every game, but Porzingis saved Boston from a season-opening defeat on Wednesday night. He was electric on both ends of the floor in his debut, and now owns a place in Celtics history.
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2023-10-26 12:14:58
#Kristaps #Porzingis #historic #recordsetting #debut #Boston #Celtics
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