Tim BontempsESPNO Oct 26, 2023, 12:03am ET5 minutes read
Kristaps Porzingis makes history in Celtics debut
Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points in his Celtics debut, the most points in a Celtics debut ever.
NEW YORK – It took no time at all for Kristaps Porzingis to become a presence on his new team.
Porzingis finished the game with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots – including scoring nine straight points to give Boston the lead for good late in the fourth quarter – and led the Celtics to a 108-104 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday evening.
“That was great,” Porzingis said with a very big smile when asked how it felt to beat his former team in the first game with his new one. “That was great, I’m not going to lie. Of course, as a home team it’s always special to play here at the Garden, but it’s really fun here too.”
“At one point it got really crazy as the fans got involved and made the comeback. But we stayed balanced, we stayed calm and were able to finish the game.”
“All in all, it’s definitely an entertaining game.”
It was a dream start for Porzingis as he set a franchise record for most points in his Celtics debut, surpassing Dominique Wilkins’ 25 in 1994.
He also demonstrated his versatility. He paced Boston on both 3-pointers, hitting 5 of the Celtics’ 12 while also leading the team with a 9-for-10 performance from the free throw line. He blocked four shots, deflected several more and finished the game plus-13 in 38 minutes.
“He has the innate ability to get two shots on the ball, whether they’re trying to outrun him and evade him or attack him, and when he gets the space he’s a magnet,” Celtics coach Joe said Mazzulla. “So we’ve got to continue to improve our spacing, improve our 2-on-1 reads and they’re going to look different at times than they did last year when he was on the floor. But, because of him, we can get a few more post-ups like we have over time and really change the distances in the game.”
The Celtics needed every bit of Porzingis’ excellence after they fell into a 99-93 hole with 4:10 left, with an unfortunate 35 seconds from Jaylen Brown making two bad passes – one in half court that went straight to the Knicks -Guard Jalen passed Brunson and another to no one in particular on a subsequent inbound pass after a 3-pointer from Julius Randle. Brown also fouled Quentin Grimes on a made triple.
That turned a tie into a six-point deficit, sending the Garden crowd into a frenzy and leaving the Knicks seemingly poised to beat Boston on national television here for the second time in three seasons.
Instead, Boston went on a 13-3 run thanks to Porzingis, who hit six free throws combined with a massive three-pointer from the right wing that gave the Celtics the lead for good with 89 seconds left.
“That was great,” Jayson Tatum said. “That we take this time off and figure it out. … I think we played on time. Obviously getting the bonus helped. But the rebounding kind of hurt us because we gave them second and third chance opportunities. “So when we started getting stops, giving them a chance, we were just in control.
“We knew we wanted to escape, we knew who we wanted to attack and we executed.”
It was also the Celtics debut for Jrue Holiday, whom Boston acquired on the eve of training camp, just days after Holiday was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster deal for Damian Lillard. And although it was a quiet night offensively for Holiday – he finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 34 minutes – he contributed to a wild Boston defensive performance that featured Knicks stars Randle and Brunson combined for 11 points on -43 shooting, including 5-for-27 on 2-point shots.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Knicks shot an impressive 18-for-41 (43.9%) from 3-point range – including 13-for-20 on open threes, according to ESPN Stats & Information – but just 18-for-56 ( 32.1%). from inside the arch. Boston, meanwhile, shot 12 of 39 from 3 — including 3 of 15 on open balls, according to SIG, and 6 of 25 after a heated first quarter — but 25 of 38 (65.7). %) to 2s.
Still, in front of a sellout crowd of 19,812 at MSG – one that chanted “F— Porzingis” late in the fourth quarter when he was assessed a technical foul for hitting Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein while trying to lock in Face caught on a defensive rebound – the Celtics showed plenty of poise and composure down the stretch against a playoff-caliber opponent.
Boston prevailed on Porzingis’ performance, which led the team to make the decision to shake up its roster and trade Marcus Smart to acquire him in June.
“He just makes us a lot more dynamic, obviously with his size, his shooting ability and his dribbling plays,” said Tatum, who led Boston with 34 points and 11 rebounds. “If they double me late, make the right play and find an open man. Obviously he can shoot from anywhere.”
“I mean, he’s really good. He’s really, really good. We’re lucky to have him.”