Kristaps Porzingis was the difference maker in the Boston Celtics' narrow 108-104 win over the New York Knicks, setting not only franchise records, but making NBA history as well.
Porzingis scored a quick 15 of Boston's 30 points in the first quarter on an effective 62 percent from the field and 60 percent from beyond the arc. After slowing down in the second quarter, the 7-foot-3 star ramped things up back in the second half, adding an additional 15 points.
His 30 points were enough to set a franchise record for most points in a debut game for the Boston Celtics, a record formerly held by franchise legend Kevin McHale, who scored 28 points in his debut on October 21, 1980. He also became the first player in NBA history to record five made 3-pointers (5-for-9) and four blocks in their debut with a new team.
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Outside of scoring, Porzingis made a massive impact on the boards with eight rebounds. Defensively, he stood tall as the sole big in the starting lineup, holding New York's big men to a combined 23 points. Comparatively, Knicks guards combined for 81. On individual coverage, Porzingis held New York to 20 percent shooting, 3 of 15, when contesting a shot.
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The Celtics just seemed to click when Porzingis was on the court, which can be backed by his team-leading plus-minus of +13. When Porzingis was on the floor, the Celtics were able to spread the offense. With much of the defensive attention going to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Knicks often left Porzingis uncovered for open shots.
Porzingis commented on this after the first quarter to ESPN's Lisa Salters.
"Honestly, I didn't feel that good in the beginning," Porzingis said. "My teammates found me some open shots. These guys draw so much attention. ... I'm just wide open."
Porzingis also spoke with NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin following the game, quickly giving the whole team credit for the win.
"It was a team effort," Porzingis said. "We made some big plays at the end, some important ones, and we made the free throws. Payton [Pritchard] came in cold, without warming up, hit two big free throws, so I think it was a team effort with JT [Jayson Tatum] leading us."
Tatum, who led the team in scoring and rebounds, logged 34 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block.
Porzingis also spoke on what he said during the timeout, where he visibly spoke up when the Knicks took the lead late in the game.
"Just to stay calm. Everybody is experienced enough to not overreact to these kinds of things," Porzingis said. "Here on the road at the [Madison Square] Garden, it's loud and fans get crazy. We just have to stay poised, and that's what we did, and it worked out for us."
When asked about what he learned about the rest of his Celtic team tonight, Porzingis gushed.
"First of all, something that we already know - we are a talented team," Porzingis added. "Even when the offense wasn't great for us, we can lock in defensively and keep them [the Knicks] around 100 points, which is really good. We have to make sure we bring that defense every night."
Not only is Porzingis saying all the right things, but he is performing at an elite, record-setting level, proving his value early on. The Celtics will look to carry this momentum into their next game on Friday when they will take on the Miami Heat in what should be a deeply personal game for Boston.