After a four-game absence, Kristaps Porzingis made his return to the Celtics’ lineup Friday night in Houston.
Boston upgraded Porzingis, who’d been listed as questionable with the ankle sprain he suffered on Christmas Day, to available ahead of its road matchup with the Rockets. It was just the 12th appearance of the season for the 7-foot-2 big man, who sat out the first 17 following offseason leg surgery.
Another Celtics star remained sidelined, however. Jaylen Brown missed his second straight game with a right shoulder sprain. Al Horford also sat out for rest purposes on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Celtics won without Brown and Porzingis on Thursday night, getting 33 points from Jayson Tatum and 29 from Derrick White in a 118-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Friday’s game was the seventh DNP of the season for Brown, who also missed time with a hip injury in early November and sat out one game because of an illness on Dec. 1.
The Rockets, led by former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, also were shorthanded for the cross-conference matchup. Forward Jabari Smith Jr., who started each of Houston’s first 33 games, broke his hand during morning shootaround, sidelining him for the foreseeable future. The Rockets also were missing their top two bench players in Amen Thompson and Tari Eason — nicknamed the “Terror Twins” for their defensive intensity.
Thompson was serving the second game of the suspension he received for brawling with Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro, and Eason was dealing with a leg injury.
Originally Published: January 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM EST
