Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis expects to play off the bench in Game 2 of NBA Finals
Porzingis played off the bench for just the second time in his career in Game 1.
The Celtics appear to be living by the motto, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Kristaps Porzingis expects to play off the bench again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews in an interview.
“We’ll see, yes,” Porzingis said when asked if he anticipates to come off the bench again in Game 2.
“Yes?” Andrews asked.
“Yes,” Porzingis replied.
Porzingis played off the bench in his return from a soleus strain in Game 1, marking just the second time in his career he didn’t start a game in which he played. While there were concerns about how effective he would be, Porzingis immediately brushed them aside. He scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter, finishing the win with six rebounds and three blocks over 21 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, Al Horford has stepped up to replace Porzingis in the starting lineup. The veteran big scored 10 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in Game 1. He’s averaging 10.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game since he entered the starting lineup this postseason, with the Celtics going 10-1 in those games.
Horford’s defensive impact was also huge Thursday. Luka Doncic shot just 1 of 8 from the field when Horford was his primary defender, and the Mavericks as a team shot 5 of 18 from the field when he was the primary defender, per NBA.com’s tracking stats.
As for Porzingis, he admitted that it was “tough” to watch the Celtics go on their run to the Finals from the bench and that he had some doubts about returning this postseason.
“Yes, because it was getting really longer than expected,” Porzingis said when asked by Andrews if he questioned if he would see the court again this postseason. “You’re like, ‘Am I gonna be good? Am I gonna be in shape for the Finals?’ It’s tough. I’m not gonna lie, it’s tough to prepare just for that, mentally.”
But Porzingis felt good from the get-go in Game 1. He credited Celtics fans for helping him ease back in, telling reporters Saturday that he had a “WWE-style” entrance and that he felt a sense of relief afterward.
“This kind of game, I was just in the moment,” Porzingis explained in his interview with ESPN. “I didn’t even catch that I had 18 at half. I was just hooping and it was just happening naturally. Those are the best kinds of games; just so in the moment, so locked in that time just flies by.
“Again, I proved to myself that I can do it. Now, I’m going to do it again, in the next game and the game until we achieve what we want to achieve.”
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