The Boston Celtics faced the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night without their two best players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and still won, 104-96, thanks in large part to the excellence of Kristaps Porzingis on the night. Porzingis, who’s missed his fair share of games as of late, has found his rhythm over the past two games, both against the Nets, having himself a stellar Tuesday night after dropping 25 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks while shooting 9-13 from the field.
In so doing, Porzingis joined a very exclusive club in NBA history that highlights how unique of a skillset he has for someone who stands at 7’3″. As pointed out by the NBA.com/Stats account on X (formerly Twitter), the Celtics big man became just the 10th player in NBA history to record at least 900 threes and 900 blocks for their career — with LeBron James and Kevin Durant being members of that club as well.
The other members of this incredible club are as follows: Brook Lopez, Rasheed Wallace, Clifford Robinson, Al Horford, Dirk Nowitzki, Shane Battier, and Scottie Pippen — all of whom had very productive careers (to varying degrees, of course).
Porzingis has always been lauded as one of the most unique players in NBA history that Durant even bestowed upon him the iconic “Unicorn” nickname. His elite shot-blocking ability and floor-spacing brilliance has made him a valuable asset at nearly every stop, and with the Celtics, he has taken their three-point launching identity to the next level ever since he arrived via trade in 2023.
There was a time when Porzingis’ stock was at an all-time low; but the Celtics have only brought the best out of him, and he, in turn, has also brought out the best in the reigning champions.
Celtics are gearing up for the playoffs
The Celtics know that health is the greatest currency come playoff time. Thus, they are not taking anything for granted in their quest to repeat as champions, and they are using the final month or so of the regular season to keep their key players fresh for the grind that lies ahead.
At this point, it looks as though the Celtics are locked into the second-seed in the East anyway amid the Cleveland Cavaliers’ brilliant season. And considering how much talent they have at their disposal, as seen in Kristaps Porzingis’ excellent game, they have the luxury to rest some of their best players and still win plenty of ballgames.
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