Kristaps Porzingis kicks the ball against the Indiana Pacers on March 6, 2022.
WASHINGTON (AP) Kristaps Porzingis finally made his debut for the Washington Wizards – and it didn’t take long for him to make a big impact.
Porzingis scored 25 points in his first game with the Washingtons as the Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers 133-123 on Sunday night. Porzingis has recovered from a bruised right knee bone and is playing for the first time since the Wizards acquired him from Dallas in a trade nearly a month ago.
It was his first game since January 29th. He started and played a significant role despite playing only 21:19.
“Glad to be there with a minute limit,” Porzingis said. “I tried to stay calm, not to do too much, to play correctly. The most important thing is that we won.
Washington went straight for the 7-foot-3 Porzingis on his first offensive possession with a cross. He could not hit the ball to the end, but he managed to score the ball. Later in the first half, Porzingis made another highlight when he blocked Oshae Brissette near the basket, although Brissett scored against Porzingis right after.
Kristaps Porzingis: “As soon as I got here, I immediately felt comfortable”
With Indiana hitting three balls late in the fourth, Kuzma blocked the shot and Porzingis performed a one-handed dunk on the other end, giving the Wizards a 124–119 lead.
“Everyone found me great, and then Denis (Avdia) put in a cross at the end,” said Porzingis. “It was a great moment for the first game here in Washington and I look forward to many more moments like this.”
Malcolm Brogdon made two free throws for Indiana with 1:35 left, but Porzingis dunked again after an offensive rebound.
“Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by his conditioning,” said Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. “I know we had to be mindful of the stretches he was going to play, but he handled it well.”