After a postseason plagued by injuries in Boston, former Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is beginning to turn heads in EuroBasket. Though he had a rough start in Latvia’s opener against Turkey, Porzingis has rebounded with strong performances in his last two outings. He led Latvia with 26 points in a win over Estonia on Friday, then contributed 14 points and six rebounds in a narrow 84-80 loss to tournament favorite Serbia on Saturday.
Despite playing on consecutive days a rare feat for the often-injured big man Porzingis logged a team-high 33 minutes against Serbia. He also showed improved physicality, drawing 21 free throw attempts over his last two games, including against MVP contender Nikola Jokic.
Traded by the Celtics this offseason in a cost-cutting, CBA-related move, Porzingis was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that brought Georges Niang to Boston. However, Niang was soon flipped to Utah as Boston continued to trim its payroll. Meanwhile, Porzingis is expected to play a key backup role in Atlanta if he can stay healthy. He is entering the final year of a $30.7 million contract originally signed with Boston in the summer of 2023. Due to recurring health issues, he has played more than 60 games in just one season since 2016.
Porzingis’ next EuroBasket test will be on Monday when Latvia takes on Portugal in a pivotal matchup. He’ll face Neemias Queta one of the players filling his former role in Boston as both teams fight for a spot in the tournament’s knockout round.
