BOSTON — As blood cascaded from his forehead during a playoff game, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis could be seen leaving the court with a grin on his face, despite the injury requiring immediate attention.
The incident occurred in Boston’s Game 2 playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic, when Porzingis received an elbow to the forehead from Goga Bitadze in the third quarter. Bleeding and in need of five stitches, Porzingis remained determined to continue playing.
“Why would I stop playing? Just because of a few stitches? As long as my legs are fine, I’ll be back,” Porzingis remarked. “These are the moments I love.”
Despite the setback, the 7-foot-2 center returned to the court and made a free throw after the injury before heading to the locker room for further treatment. He later rejoined his team in the closing minutes of their 109-100 victory over Orlando, compiling 20 points and 10 rebounds over 34 minutes.
Jaylen Brown, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the same game, praised Porzingis’ resilience. “He competed hard, that’s what counts. Playing through injury and all the blood—that’s what gets KP going.”
The injury happened when both players leaped for a rebound, resulting in Bitadze striking Porzingis in the head as the former descended. After reviewing the video footage, the referees deemed that Bitadze’s elbow motion was intentional, earning him a flagrant foul.
Porzingis was met with cheers upon returning from the locker room, a bandage now adorning his forehead and his head no longer dripping with blood. After making a free throw, he briefly exited again, as the Celtics maintained an 81-71 lead going into the final quarter.
Porzingis would later return with just over seven minutes remaining to a thunderous reception from the TD Garden crowd. While he didn’t score further, he contributed two rebounds to secure the victory.
This wasn’t the first time Porzingis played through such situations. Earlier in the month, he had to leave a game against the Phoenix Suns after sustaining a cut to the bridge of his nose.
“I enjoy these WWE-like challenges,” Porzingis said. “We’re not letting anyone push us around.”