Kristaps Porzingis returned to the floor Friday night and delivered 25 points in the Atlanta Hawks’ 134–133 loss to the Denver Nuggets, then offered a detailed look at his health and performance during his postgame comments.
Porzingis said his conditioning felt better than expected after missing multiple games. “Honestly surprisingly good,” he said, noting that his 20-minute limit helped him ease back into game speed and that his movement “felt great tonight.”
He explained that the illness that sidelined him was not related to previous health issues. “No, I wouldn’t say it’s the same thing,” Porzingis said, describing it as simply “not being healthy healthy” and emphasizing he plans to put the setback behind him.
The matchup gave him one of the league’s toughest assignments with Nikola Jokic, who finished with 40 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. “Oh, every time is the same,” Porzingis said. He added that Jokic’s rhythm can be deceptive: “I looked up at one point and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s not having a good game.’ And he had 29 in that moment.”
Atlanta brought him off the bench for only the second time in his career, but he said the role shift didn’t disrupt his preparation. “I always like say to myself that you can put me in like any situation, I’ll figure it out,” he said, adding that he will “do whatever is best for the team” while ramping up his minutes.
Porzingis also praised Jalen Johnson, who posted a historic performance with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists, becoming the first Hawk to record a triple-double by halftime. “Honestly, I didn’t expect him to be that good of a passer,” Porzingis said, pointing to Johnson’s pace, reads, and consistency. “This guy wants to be great.”
He described the final possession, where Atlanta’s attempt at a game-tying three was blocked, as a split-second situation. “We had opportunities honestly,” Porzingis said, mentioning that he was “pretty open” on one of the sequences but called Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s decision-making understandable given his strong performance.
Porzingis also detailed how Quin Snyder has incorporated sets he used in Washington and Boston, noting that the Hawks’ offensive structure feels familiar. “Q is a like a offensive mastermind honestly,” he said, crediting Snyder’s system for the team’s “decent basketball” despite injuries and rotation changes.
Reflecting on Atlanta’s inability to close a game in which it once led by 23, Porzingis said Denver’s late surge was decisive. “They were kind of in control… they had a run,” he said, pointing to open threes and momentum swings that shifted the matchup.
Even with the loss, Porzingis said he felt encouraged. “Honestly like even though it’s a loss but I’m like happy with the way we fought… happy with being back,” he said.
Atlanta, now 13–11, will attempt to halt its three-game skid Saturday against Washington.
