Kristaps Porzingis Reveals If He'll Come Off Celtics' Bench in Game 2 Against Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in his return for the Celtics to help guide the victory over the Mavericks. What will his role be on Sunday?

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) controls the ball against Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) in the first quarter during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON — A critical factor for the Boston Celtics to achieve a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was Kristaps Porzingis. He returned from a lengthy absence caused by a calf injury and came off the bench, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

Porzingis was instrumental in the Celtics separating from the Mavericks early on. The team went from trailing 15-14 to leading 37-20, with Porzingis playing an essential role with his combination of outside shooting, post scoring, and rim protection. Boston led by as many as 29 points before Dallas cut it to eight points in the third quarter, but the Celtics pulled away for a substantial lead to close out the game.

"Obviously it wasn't ideal that I was out for such a long time," Porzingis said. "But I did everything I could to prepare mentally for this moment coming back, and it paid off and we got the job done tonight and had a good game and happy about the result."

During an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews, Porzingis was asked if he will come off the bench again in Game 2. He responded: "We'll see. Yes."

The crowd at TD Garden gave Porzingis a loud reception when he took the court for pre-game warmups after the team had already been on the court. He was shown on the jumbotron for a lenghty walk through the hallway and exit through the tunnel with fans reacting the whole time, then getting even louder after he reached the court. He was grateful for the support and used it as fuel.

"Getting on the court (and) getting that kind of support was unreal," Porzingis said after Game 1 "The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and that definitely helped."

Porzingis expects a "big response" from Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in Game 2. “We expect a big response from him," he said on Saturday. "He’s one of the best players and he’s going to bring it so we have to be ready.”

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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