Kristaps Porzingis returned to the floor after a 38-day absence, and what a return it was.
The 7-foot-3 "unicorn" missed all of the Boston Celtics' second-round and conference finals series with a calf injury he suffered in the first round.
Porziņģis said he would be healthy and active for Game 1 of the NBA Finals and showed no rest.
Porziņģis checked into the game with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter and the Celtics leading the Dallas Mavericks 12-11. He received a huge ovation from an already-raucous Boston crowd.
Over the next 7:17 of the quarter, Porziņģis hit 4-of-5 shots for 11 points, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked two shots. The Celtics ended the quarter up 37-20.
Porziņģis was everywhere. His rim protection was a huge deterrent when Mavs players hit the paint with the ball in their hands. On offense, Porziņģis knocked down some deep threes, but also had a driving dunk, and was able to post up and shoot over smaller defenders in the midrange.
In one of the defining sequences of the game, Porziņģis racked up 3 points and 2 blocks in less than 90 seconds.
After the game, Porzingis credited the TD Garden crowd, saying the ovation he received just walking out of the locker room tunnel gave him an adrenaline boost.
"Obviously what helped me, even in the walk-out before the game, then getting on the court, getting that kind of support, it was unreal," Porziņģis said. "Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and that definitely helped."
Porziņģis added that he had tried to mentally prepare for what his comeback would be like after such a long layoff.
Porziņģis had a quieter second half, but finished the game with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 21 minutes. He was a +13 for the game.
Porziņģis Adds a Different Element
The Celtics aren't the dominant team from the regular season without Porziņģis
The Celtics breezed through the playoffs to such a degree that Porziņģis' absence didn't get the attention that some other stars' injuries did.
However, Porziņģis' presence brings the Celtics to another level. His shooting allows them to play a true, five-out offense, as defenses must respect his three-pointer more than Al Horford at this stage of Horford's career.
Likewise, Porziņģis can punish mismatches. After being ineffective at posting up early in his career, it's become a strength of Porziņģis', bringing a new element to the occasionally stale Boston offense.
On defense, Porziņģis size is obviously a massive upgrade. As several Mavericks found out in Game 1, finishing around or over the big man is no easy task.
Heading into Game 2, the Mavericks can fix many of their own mistakes to be more competitive. One thing they can't change is that Porzingis impacts the game in a way many other players can't.
