How Celtics Feel After Kristaps Porzingis Practiced With G League Affiliate

BOSTON — The return of Kristaps Porzingis remains on hold for the Celtics, but the team feels optimistic about the 7-footer’s rehab progress.

Porzingis underwent a practice assignment with Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, at Auerbach Center on Monday afternoon. It was described as the “next phase” of his recovery from a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, and allowed the 29-year-old to remain active and fresh.

That engagement and activity carried over before Tuesday night’s NBA Cup matchup against the undefeated (15-0) Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. Roughly an hour before tip-off, Porzingis was on Boston’s bright green parquet getting shots up from midrange, balanced on one leg and from 3-point range. All signs, for now, are pointing toward Porzingis being perfectly on track as planned.

“I only watched a little of it, but he got through good. Came out of it okay,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said pregame. “So just continuing to ramp it up and he’s getting better and better.”

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Porzingis hasn’t played since Boston clinched their NBA Finals victory five months ago, leaving the Celtics to figure out how to hold down the fort — but not on their own. Boston relied on Porzingis during last Wednesday’s bounce-back win over the Brooklyn Nets as a voluntary sideline voice of encouragement, digging into his — as Jaylen Brown called it, “coaching bag.”

Celtics teammate Xavier Tillman Sr. repaid the favor by participating in Monday’s practice alongside Porzingis and the Maine team. In the eyes of Mazzulla, it spoke volumes of Boston’s second-year reserve who’s pitched into filling the tall void left by Porzingis’ belated season debut.

“He just wanted to play,” Mazzulla explained. “It was an opportunity to play and he’s obviously done a great job of just doing what we’ve asked him to do so it’s a credit to him. I have a lot of respect for him for making that decision. We just gotta keep getting better and better. So, he’s brought great character and a great work ethic.”

Boston’s gone 11-3, so far, without Porzingis. At times, it’s clear that the Celtics need their starting center and Saturday night’s overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors was a prime example. Boston’s defense got slaughtered by Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl, who contributed 35 of 76 points inside the paint totaled by the Raptors.

No word yet on what specifically is up next for Porzingis who rejoined the Celtics before Boston aimed to become the first team in the league to defeat Cleveland.

“All I know is he’s getting better every day,” Mazzulla said. “He’s working really hard at coming back as fast as he can and he’s in the next phase of ramp-up.”