Kristaps Porzingis' return won't have to wait until December, after all.
The Boston Celtics big man will make his 2024-25 season debut Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
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The Celtics upgraded Porzingis to probable on their injury report Monday ahead of their matchup with the Clippers.
Porzingis underwent surgery to address a "rare" leg injury in late June, and the team initially announced a recovery timeline of five-to-six months. While the veteran big man said before the season he was targeting a December return, he had been ramping up activity in recent weeks and went through a full practice with the Maine Celtics last Monday.
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Porzingis returning this soon is a bit of a surprise given his injury history and the fact that Boston has gone 14-3 without him to begin the season. But as Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg recently pointed out, the Latvian big man isn't interested in sitting on the sideline if he feels ready to play.
"For me, it's tough because I want to be back out there as soon as possible, you know? And it's more like, whenever I get the green light, I'll be out there,” Porzingis told Forsberg at Media Day in September.
Hey Celtics game ops:
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 25, 2024
Please get the Porzingis walk from locker room on Jumbotron tonight.
KP on Finals: “I heard the crowd roar, it was insane, insane. Whatever pain I had, it was gone because of the adrenaline and that incredible feeling that I got from the fans.”
It appears Porzingis has gotten the green light, and he could make an immediate impact with fellow big men Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (right hamstring tightness) both listed as doubtful for Celtics-Clippers.
Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 57 games for the C's last season. Celtics-Clippers is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
