BOSTON — “KP” chants broke out within the third quarter of Wednesday’s sport between the Celtics and the Orlando Magic after Kristaps Porzingis took an elbow to the face from Magic middle Goga Bitadze.
Bitadze appeared to right away apologize to Porzingis, who lay on the ground with blood gushing out of his head. Luke Kornet motioned for the Celtics’ medical employees to examine on Porzingis, and so they instantly wrapped his head in a towel.
Nonetheless dripping blood, Porzingis grinned and rapidly exited to the locker room, hyping up the Celtics followers on his method out.
“I really like my WWE minutes,” he stated postgame.
Whereas Porzingis bought bandaged up, referees assessed Bitadze’s foul as a flagrant penalty one.
Porzingis was solely gone for a minute earlier than he returned to the court docket to shoot the free throws with a large band-aid on his brow. He went 1-2 from the road.
After the free throws, Porzingis returned to the Celtics’ locker room, blood nonetheless gushing. He as soon as once more overrated the followers and went again to get 5 stitches on his brow.
Porzingis returned to the bench with 8 minutes left within the third quarter, nonetheless with a smile on his face and a band-aid on his head, and checked again into the sport a minute later to rousing applause.
“How can I not come again?” he stated after the sport when requested about his determination to return to the ground. “‘Oh, I’ve 5 stitches, I can’t play anymore.’ My legs are working. After all I’m going again to be on the market… I like these moments.”
The Latvian middle bought 4 stitches on his nostril just a few weeks in the past in a sport in opposition to the Phoenix Suns, however Wednesday’s elbow to the face seems to have drawn unrelated blood. Each instances, Porzingis used the second to have a vigorous interplay with the TD Backyard followers.
Having fun with basketball to the fullest comes naturally to Porzingis, he stated postgame. And, Boston makes it particularly simple.
“There’s no higher place to do it. The most important stage, and getting all of this love. That is what I dreamed of.”
Kristaps Porzingis stated having fun with basketball to the fullest comes fairly naturally to him, particularly right here in Boston:
“There’s no higher place to do it. The most important stage, and getting all of this love. That is what I dreamed of.”
(Q: @tvabby) pic.twitter.com/hj7FywowDE
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) April 24, 2025
