Boston Celtics

Porzingis credits ‘way smoother shot' for recent offensive success

The Celtics big man tied his career-high with eight 3-pointers in Wednesday's win over the Bulls.

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Kristaps Porzingis talks exclusively with Abby Chin after his impressive 34-point night vs. Chicago

Kristaps Porzingis continues to be a game-changer for the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

The veteran big man has been lights out for the C's since making his season debut on Nov. 25, especially since the calendar turned to 2025. He entered Wednesday averaging 19.3 points and shooting 29-for-59 (49.2 percent) from 3-point range in 11 January games.

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Porzingis' red-hot stretch continued with a 34-point outburst in Wednesday's 122-100 win over the Chicago Bulls. He dropped 26 of those points in the first half and finished 8-for-14 from beyond the arc, tying his career-high for 3s in a game.

So, what's been the key to Porzingis's recent success?

"Honestly, my shot is just feeling way smoother and way nicer the last five to seven, eight games," he told NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin after Wednesday's victory at TD Garden. "That's pretty much it. My shot's falling, in better shape, playing with some joy and tonight was a good night."

Porzingis hasn't shied away from critiquing the team during its inconsistent stretch. Make no mistake though, the 7-foot-2 Latvian is thoroughly enjoying his time with the C's. Just how much fun is he having in Boston?

"From 1 to 10? Like, 15," Porzingis answered. "I'm really enjoying it. Most importantly, we're winning games. Last one we had a little misstep, but that was a good team we played and overall I think we're on the right track and moving in the right direction."

After a magical NBA Finals run, Porzingis underwent offseason surgery on his left ankle that kept him sidelined for the first month of the 2024-25 campaign. "The Unicorn" is finally starting to feel like himself again after admitting earlier in the season that he was still at "92.7 percent."

Abby Chin asked Porzingis what percent he believes he's currently at.

"96 point something," Porzingis joked. "But no, I'm feeling in good shape. I'm always a player that like, if I have a good summer and then I go into the season, I start really well. This year, I didn't have that summer so it took me a little bit to get going, but as you can see, I'm hitting my stride now and feeling really good."

With Wednesday's win, the Celtics are now 14-1 this season following a loss. Porzingis believes their ability to consistently bounce back shows they're still a team no one will want to face in a seven-game playoff series.

"If we want to be a championship-caliber team, we can't lose two in a row," he said. "And every time we bounce back pretty well after some losses, and that's it. We are a championship-caliber team and we're gonna have to prove it again this year."

As great as the Celtics have been after losses, they're just 3-9 after wins this season. They'll look to improve on that mark when they begin a three-game road trip Friday vs. the New Orleans Pelicans.

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