It may seem strange, but at 28 years old, Kristaps Porzingis played his first minutes in an Eastern Conference playoff series on Sunday evening.
Even though he played three years with the Knicks at the start of his career, then two years with the Wizards, it was only under the colors of the Mavericks that he had made the playoffs. It was in 2020 and 2021 for a total of 10 games, and that's a far cry from the 94 playoff games of Jayson Tatum, drafted two years after him!
“There was a little extra energy, although it’s always weird to play so early” explains Kristaps Porzingis about his feelings about this return to the playoffs. “It feels a bit like we're in training… But we all had in mind that it wasn't a regular season game, and that we were starting the playoffs. And then it's in Boston, and I intend to play as much as possible here. »
In the end, there is a big victory (114-94), and Kristaps Porzingis recognizes that the Celtics made their lives easier by striking first.
“It was a really fun match” he continues. “Our first home playoff game this season, on a Sunday at 1 p.m., the perfect date, right? We got on the right track. We were the first to strike and we started well. And then we built on that. »
The duel against Bam Adebayo
Author of 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, Kristaps Porzingis really hurt the Heat from afar with his 4 of 8 3-pointers. On the other side of the field, his role is to focus on Bam Adebayo in defense.
In the absence of Jimmy Butler, the international pivot sees his role greatly increase in the Heat attack, and he becomes one of the main dangers. It is therefore Kristaps Porzingis' mission to embarrass whoever will play in Paris with Team USA. But he cautions that he is not making it a personal challenge.
“Of course we want to stop it as much as possible. While knowing that they will pass through him all the time, and that he will be involved in all situations,” explains the Latvian interior. » I don't care about him. I care about our team and what we are trying to achieve. It's not a head-to-head, me against Bam. It's the Celtics against the Heat, so we'll make sure we stay focused on that. »
