The Boston Celtics are in firm control of their first-round Playoff series despite recently losing Jayson Tatum to injury. They picked up a 109-100 win over the Orlando Magic to secure a 2-0 lead in the first round, being led by Jaylen Brown with Tatum absent.
Center Kristaps Porzingis nearly joined Tatum on the injury list after suffering a nasty gash on his forehead after an elbow from Goga Bitadze.
Foul on Porzingis lol. Probably fouled him before but he’s gotta be sick after getting hit like that pic.twitter.com/WxUOLvZC3o
— EJ’s Waterboy (@EJzWaterboy) April 24, 2025
Instead of leaving the game as blood flowed down his face, the Celtics patched him up so he could continue the game. This left Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla incredibly impressed.
“I like his overall composure. He had an innate ability to take things very seriously… how he controls the environment, how he handles the crowd, and how he handles the physicality. You could say a great deal about him, and I think that helps him.”
“I like watching him bleed on the court. I think that’s important. Then he comes back in and does a job.”
Joe Mazzulla on Kristaps Porzingis injury:
“I like watching him bleed on the court. I think that's important”pic.twitter.com/Z8YCTH419C
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 24, 2025
Porzingis ended the night with a double-double, notching 20 points (5-14 FG) and 10 rebounds in the win. Thankfully, reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown put up 36 points (12-19 FG), 10 rebounds, and five assists to lead the Celtics to a challenging win without Tatum available.
Porzingis opened up on his injury and how he played through it after the game, expressing how much he loves moments like this in basketball.
“Honestly, how could I not come back out. Like, ‘Oh, I have five stitches, I can’t play anymore.’ No. My legs work, everything works, and of course I’m going to be out there. “And you know me. I like these moments.”
Porzingis spent a majority of the Celtics’ 2024 Championship run on the shelf with injuries before returning in the Finals to put away his former team, the Dallas Mavericks.
He’s healthy this year and clearly wants to play as many Playoff minutes as possible, playing 34 minutes tonight despite cracking his head open and coming into the Playoffs with nagging and mysterious ailments.
This was also a comeback game for Porzingis, who had a quiet five points (1-8 FG) and six rebounds in Boston’s Game 1 win. However, he’s playing a crucial role in ensuring the Celtics don’t fall victim to the incredible production from the Magic duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
