BY: LEO BATO — SPORTS ON AIR — CORRESPONDENT
LOS ANGELES — Just like last season when he missed most of the Boston Celtics’ playoffs run that eventually led to a title, the narrative around Kristaps Porzingis hasn’t changed.
Injuries.
No thanks to an assortment of hurts — heel, calf, knee and toe — the 7-foot-2, 240-pound power forward has already missed 25 of Boston’s 45 games this season.
It’s a source of frustration for the Celtics, who have somehow managed to log a 31-14 slate which is second only to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 36-7 card that currently leads the entire NBA.
The DNPs have also taken a toll on the 29-year old from Latvia who was drafted No.4 overall by the New York Knicks in 2015 before being traded to Dallas and then the Celtics.
“It’s super annoying, super frustrating to not be able to catch a good rhythm and already, boom, some small thing happens and you’re out for a couple of games,” he said in a recent interview. “Just to be dealing with this. It’s part of the life we choose. My body is obviously very particular, so these things happen to me.”
But on Thursday night (Friday AM in Manila), Porzingis was available for the Lakers tiff and he showed all and sundry what a weapon he still is.
In a 117-96 loss to their bitter-rival Lakers, Porzingis scattered 22 points and gathered 7 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. He hit 9-of-16 from the field including 2-of-5 from 3-point distance.
For the season, Porzingis is averaging a robust 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists a contest. He is shooting a high 38.5 percent from 3.
The Celtics are favored to defend their chip in the 2025 NBA Finals this June but much of their success depends on the fit and availability of Porzingis, who rakes in a whopping $29.2 million in this 2024-25 campaign.
