After being out for five months, Kristaps Porzingis will return to the court this week, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Porzingis will reportedly make his season debut Monday night as the Celtics take on the Los Angeles Clippers in Boston at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Boston forward 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.
The Latvian big man 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.
Porzingis 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, in second place in the Eastern Conference, but is certain to get a boost from Porzingis’ return.