Kristaps Porzingis felt ‘a step slow’ in his first game playing heavy minutes this season
Sunday night was Porzingis's first game this season playing more than 30 minutes. He didn't feel like his usual self.
Despite finishing with 21 points and eight boards, Kristaps Porzingis said he didn’t feel quite like his usual self during Sunday night’s 115-111 loss to Cleveland.
The 7-foot-2 center made three steals, but did not have any blocks. Just one of his rebounds came on the offensive end. He played 32 minutes, which is the most he has logged since returning from offseason ankle surgery last Monday.
Porzingis said there were “many things” he could learn from his first look at extended action this season.
“I just felt a step slow tonight and that’s on me,” Porzingis said. “Offensively, defensively, a little bit better position, a little bit of this, anticipation a little bit better, so definitely can take some things away from this game.”
Porzingis averaged 24 minutes per game over his first two contests. He started the games, but the minutes he was playing were closer to the amount Sam Hauser (22.3) typically gets than any of the Celtics’ other four starters (31.2 and up).
But, with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White out, the shorthanded Celtics ramped up Porzingis’s minutes and leaned on big man’s 3-point range to space the floor. He went 3-for-7 from 3-point range, and he pulled up from far beyond the line on several attempts.
Porzingis was asked if the sluggishness he felt had anything to do with the injury he just returned from.
“I felt pretty good, I think just tonight was just not ideal,” Porzingis said. “It’s something that’s very easily correctable. Of course it stings, every loss stings. It is what it is. This is going to make us bounce back and get better.”
The Celtics entered the 4th quarter with a 12-point lead, but let it slip away against Cleveland. The Cavs (19-3) hold the NBA’s best record. Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points, including six 3-pointers.
“I think in some moments when we could have extended the lead even more we didn’t execute well,” Porzingis said. “Some shots didn’t go our way and stuff. And then it was kind of natural, no? They’re at home. They were going to make some kind of a run, and they did. It was a good run.”
“They started hitting threes with Donovan leading the charge for them and they hit some big shots towards the end,” he added. “But, I think we didn’t execute well enough. I felt, myself, that I didn’t play up to my level today … Didn’t anticipate some things quickly enough. So, with the game being as close as it was, I think we have a big, big margin of playing much better than we did tonight.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com