In the fourth quarter of the Boston Celtics’ game against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, big man Kristaps Porzingis suffered a nose injury after receiving an elbow to the face from Cody Martin. Porzingis suffered a cut on his nose and headed to the locker room.
At the time of Porzingis’ injury, the Celtics were up by 15 points and were in control of the game. Still, being without their starting big man for any stretch of time is a disadvantage the Celtics do not want to deal with.
Later in the game, the Celtics made an official announcement regarding Porzingis and provided an update on his status.
Before exiting the game, Porzingis recorded 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting, four rebounds, one assist, and a block. In their official announcement, the Celtics shared the unfortunate news that his cut required stitches and he was questionable to return.
Following the team’s announcement, Porzingis never returned to the game, but Boston held on to win 123-103.
When healthy, Porzingis provides a major boost to the team on both sides of the ball. Additionally, he provides great rebounding and is a matchup nightmare for just about every other team in the NBA.
As the Celtics prepare to defend their title and aim to repeat as champions, it is crucial that Porzingis is available and healthy. The Celtics are a great team even when he is not on the court, but he adds a lot of value and elevates them to another level.
The Celtics’ next game will be on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, Porzingis’ former team. His status will be worth monitoring in the meantime.
