Kristaps Porzingis returned to TD Garden on Wednesday night, acknowledging the reception from Boston Celtics fans after a 120-99 loss by the Golden State Warriors.
“I didn’t make up too much in my mind,” Porzingis said. “I knew I was going to get a nice ovation. I had a great time here, great couple of years, so I know the fans appreciated me and it was good to be back here.”
The former Boston big man finished with 11 points and five rebounds, but pointed to familiarity as a factor in his performance.
“They know me very well,” Porzingis said. “Honestly, they did a super good job tonight on me. I didn’t shoot the ball well, so hats off to them.”
Boston’s defensive discipline limited his rhythm, which aligned with the Celtics’ overall control after building a 63-50 halftime lead behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Porzingis also evaluated Tatum’s return from Achilles injury, noting minimal signs of rust.
“He looks good, honestly,” Porzingis said. “Shot was falling already. Looked like he’s not rusty at all, just look a little heavy. I told him you need to lose a couple pounds and he’ll be flying again.”
The Latvian center described postgame interactions with former teammates as routine despite the competitive setting.
“Pretty much everybody,” Porzingis said. “I chopped it up real quick with everybody, just said what’s up to everybody as always.”
He also offered a broader assessment of Boston’s outlook as the postseason approaches.
“They already have this DNA, championship,” Porzingis said. “They have to go for it. I don’t think they need to put any limit, and with those two guys leading them, they have all the possibilities.”
Golden State, meanwhile, has struggled to maintain consistency, losing six of its last seven games and slipping in the Western Conference standings.
Porzingis acknowledged his own recovery remains a work in progress following injury setbacks earlier in the season.
“I still got a good way to go, honestly,” he said. “I would say still got a good way to go, 60%. But still I can play decent at this feel that I have, so it’s only going to get better.”
He outlined a timeline for improvement based on recent games.
“I think four or five more games and then I feel like I’ll really be close to pretty good shape,” Porzingis said. “I see the trajectory now, so for me I’m convinced that I’m heading in the right direction.”
Despite the loss, he emphasized steady progress over immediate results.
“I don’t put any extra pressure on myself,” Porzingis said. “Just take it one game at a time, recover, feel good, increase minutes, go from here.”
With Stephen Curry still sidelined, Porzingis stressed the importance of maintaining structure before reinforcements arrive.
“We want to play the right way and not hang our heads,” he said. “We want to be strong, and then we add him and then it’s a completely different story.”
