Kristaps Porzingis' debut with the Golden State Warriors was a mixed bag, but there were glimpses of what he can bring to the table. Despite a 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics at Chase Center, the Warriors showed some fight in the final quarter, making the game a bit more competitive.
Porzingis played just 17 minutes, but it was enough to showcase both his potential contributions and areas where the team might need to adjust. In the first half, he managed a dunk and a three-pointer, but his slower defensive footwork allowed the Celtics to capitalize with open threes, contributing to a 74-51 halftime deficit.
The Warriors found themselves trailing by as much as 34 points in the third quarter. However, Porzingis sparked a fourth-quarter rally with his two-way play. He nailed another deep three, exploited mismatches in the post, and demonstrated his rim-protecting prowess, helping the Warriors claw back into contention.
While the comeback fell short, it was a positive takeaway from an otherwise challenging game. Porzingis ended with 12 points, one rebound, one assist, and one block, shooting 5-of-9 overall and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
At 30, Porzingis might find more comfort playing against traditional centers, as he struggled to close out on Boston's shooters in the first half. Offensively, his potential to become a key scorer for Golden State is clear, especially once his minutes increase.
Without Stephen Curry for the sixth consecutive game, the Warriors relied on a team effort. De'Anthony Melton led with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while young talents Will Richard and Gui Santos added 17 points each, contributing to the effort.
Defensively, the Warriors tightened up in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to contain a Boston team that shot 51.6% from the field and 42.5% from three. Payton Pritchard was impressive off the bench for the Celtics with 26 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, while Jaylen Brown secured a triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists.
The Warriors, now just two games above .500, are gearing up for another tough matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.