After being out for five months, Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut for the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
The nine-year veteran was in the starting lineup and quickly tried to make an impact, scoring Boston’s first basket and shooting four 3-pointers within the first four minutes of the game. In the Celtics’ 126–94 win, he finished with 16 points, six rebounds and perhaps most importantly, two blocks in 23 minutes.
Porzingis’ return was originally reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The 7-foot-2 center has had a lengthy recovery after undergoing surgery on his ankle in June. The surgery repaired a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon — a rare ankle injury that Porzingis suffered during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Porzingis missed Games 3 and 4 of the Finals with the injury, but was later available for Game 5 in a limited capacity. Boston went on to win the NBA Championship with a definitive 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Latvian big man has missed the first 17 games of the season while recovering from the surgery. Boston is off to a 14-3 start coming off its NBA championship, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, but is certain to get a boost from Porzingis’ return.