Star Player Making Injury Return in Celtics-Clippers

Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis is set to make his season debut against the LA Clippers on Monday.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (back) looks on during the national anthem before game four of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics dominated on their way to a 2024 NBA Championship, doing so with star center Kristaps Porzingis playing in just seven of their 19 playoff games. The Celtics have continued to dominate early into the 2024-25 season, winning 14 of their first 17 games and trailing only the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA.

For the second leg of a back-to-back series, the Celtics are hosting the LA Clippers on Monday night, but a big surprise is giving Boston a boost in this cross-coast matchup.

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make his season debut on Monday against LA, five months after undergoing foot surgery.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis plans to make his season debut tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. Porzingis returns five months after undergoing foot surgery. pic.twitter.com/4te4hw9N2A

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 25, 2024

In his lone season as a Celtic, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game with 51.6/37.5/85.8 shooting splits. Porzingis was part of the blockbuster deal in the 2023 offseason that sent Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and put the Latvian big man in Boston.

In Porzingis' absence, veteran center Al Horford and young big men Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet have each earned time in the starting lineup. While head coach Joe Mazzulla has not confirmed whether Porzingis will start or come off the bench in his season debut, the 7-foot-2 big man will make an impact regardless.

Monday's matchup in Boston is a huge test for the Clippers, but it just got much more difficult with Porzingis back on the court.

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