Abby Chin catches up with Kristaps Porzingis in an exclusive 1-on-1 interview following the Celtics’ 135-100 win over the Thunder.
The Boston Celtics returned home after a six-game road trip and earned a dominant win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, clinching the league's best record with six games remaining -- a feat last accomplished in Boston during the 2008 championship-winning season.
"It sounds pretty good to me," C's big man Kristaps Porzingis told NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin about how it feels to clinch the best record in the NBA, as seen in the video player above. "We worked hard all season long and we deserve it."
With just under two weeks remaining in the regular season, Porzingis knows how important it is to finish strong. But as he told Chin following the victory, he's still looking ahead to the playoffs.
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"We feel good," Porzingis added of Boston's mentality ahead of the postseason. "Everybody is healthy at the right time. We have a few games left and we want to finish the season strong no matter who we are playing against and head into the postseason with the right mindset."
Porzingis' Wednesday night stat line marked another milestone in Celtics history. He became the only other player in franchise history alongside Robert Parish to log at least 27 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, four assists, and a steal in a game.
"I don't think [this is the best I've played in my career]," Porzingis told Chin. "I haven't shot the ball great -- except for tonight, tonight I got back on track -- but I look to have everything clicking at the right time. I'm excited for that and want to finish the season strong to head into the postseason."
Despite Porzingis' humble remarks, the 7-footer is actually shooting a career-high 51.1 percent from the field, with his 36.4 percent conversion rate from deep also being above his career average of 35.9.
"This is the best place to play basketball," Porzingis said with a smile about returning home to Boston after a long road trip. "Especially after a long road trip -- of course we have our fans everywhere -- but there is no place like playing at home and I enjoy this game so much."
Porzingis and the Celtics will have a night off before returning to TD Garden on Friday night to take on the Sacramento Kings, a team that Boston blew out 144-119 earlier in the season.
