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BOSTON (AP)— As he dashed off the court with blood streaming from a gash on his forehead, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t suppress a grin, clutching a towel against the injury while making his way to the locker room.
A bit of blood wasn’t enough to deter him.
“Why would I not return? ‘Oh, I have five stitches, so I can’t play anymore?’ My legs are fine. Naturally, I’m going back out there,” Porzingis remarked. “I thrive in these situations.”
Porzingis briefly exited during Boston’s Game 2 playoff triumph over Orlando on Wednesday night after being struck by an elbow from Goga Bitadze of the Magic in the third quarter. He came back to take two free throws, received stitches for the cut, and rejoined the action in the final minutes.
Standing at 7 feet 2 inches, Porzingis contributed significantly to Boston’s 109-100 win, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes of play.
“He showed up and fought hard,” said Jaylen Brown, who scored 36 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. “That’s the spirit we appreciate. Even battling through an injury and blood everywhere, I think that motivates KP.”
In the final moments of the third quarter, both Porzingis and Bitadze leapt for a rebound, and Bitadze inadvertently struck Porzingis in the head as he fell. After a video review, officials decided that Bitadze had swung his elbow at Porzingis, leading to a flagrant foul being called.
While the review was underway, Porzingis emerged from the locker room to a roaring ovation, with congealed blood trailing down the back of his head and a bandage on his forehead. He successfully made one out of two free throws before exiting the court once again.
The Celtics held an 81-71 advantage as they entered the fourth quarter. Porzingis made his way back to the bench midpoint through the quarter—now clean of blood—and reentered the game with 7:15 remaining to even more enthusiastic cheers from the TD Garden crowd.
He didn’t add to his score but secured two crucial rebounds in the closing moments.
Earlier this month, Porzingis had to leave the Celtics’ game against the Phoenix Suns after sustaining a cut on his nose.
“I enjoy my WWE moments,” Porzingis stated. “We won’t let anyone intimidate us.”
