Even though he left the Knicks four and a half years ago, Kristaps Porzingis always has a little pang in his heart when he returns to Madison Square Garden. But it turns into a dream evening when he wins in his first match under his new colors, and it is he who makes the difference in the “money time”.
“It was huge! I’m not going to lie, it’s awesome! » he says after the Celtics victory. “Playing at the Garden is always special when you wear a Knicks jersey, but of course it’s just as fun when you’re the visiting team. At one point, it got really crazy when the fans were into it during their comeback. But we stayed calm, we stayed calm and we were able to finish the game. »
A “magnet” in attack
A calm symbolized by his 6 out of 6 on free throws in “money time”. The Latvian has always had golden hands, and Boston is rubbing its hands at having picked him up from Washington. For his first game, he finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks! This is unheard of for a Celtics rookie. The previous record was held by Dominique Wilkins in 1994.
“He has an innate ability to attract two players to the ball, whether they are trying to switch on him or slide, and when he has space he is a magnet”, notes Joe Mazzulla. “We must therefore continue to improve our spacing, our reading of the game on 2-on-1, and the opponents will see something different compared to last year. Thanks to him, we will be able to have more post-ups like we did at the end of the match and really change the spacing of our game.”
“We are lucky to have him with us”
Author of 5 3-point shots, Kristaps Porzingis transforms Boston’s game with his ability to get out of the way and take out big opponents, but also with his ability to penalize two-man takes on Jayson Tatum. The All-Star winger signs 34 points, and he says all the good things he thinks of his new teammate.
“He brings us more dynamism with his size, his ability to shoot and create off the dribble” likes Jayson Tatum. “When they took me two at the end of the match, I was able to make the right move and find the unmarked player. Obviously, he can shoot from any location. I insist, it’s really good. He’s really, really good, and we’re lucky to have him with us. »
