"SAN FRANCISCO Kristaps Porzingis had the basketball in a vicegrip, his 7-foot-2 frame towering over the pesky Payton Pritchard, who was similarly in no mood to relinquish control. The Chase Center crowd began to hum, then cheer, then roar as their new Warriors center refused to back down from Boston's flamethrowing guard late in the second quarter of the Warriors' loss. It ended with the former Celtic teammates being involved in a jump ball."
"Playing in his first game since being traded by the Hawks for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, the multi-skilled and somewhat peeved Porzingis gave the Warriors plenty to be excited and concerned about in 17 uneven minutes. Porzingis scored 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting, grabbed one rebound, dished out an assist and turned the ball over twice. It was his first action since early January, and just the 18th game he has played this season."
"Porzingis has dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and a variety of injuries that have prevented him from playing in more than 60 games in six of the past seven seasons. So rust was certainly an issue. His steps were a smidge slow, the shot a tad flat and the rotations often late. But Porzingis' gravity as a scorer stayed unchanged, his presence at the rim still fearsome and the potential for more remained."
"I thought he looked good, Kerr said. You know it's never easy just going to a new team, and having one practice, and playing. But you can see his talent, his feel for the game, his ability to space the floor, protect the rim. It's good to have him on our team, that's for sure."
Kristaps Porzingis debuted for the Golden State Warriors after being traded from the Hawks, playing 17 uneven minutes and scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Porzingis recorded one rebound, one assist and two turnovers in his first action since early January and only his 18th game this season. Porzingis has missed extensive time due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and various injuries, limiting him to fewer than 60 games in six of the past seven seasons. Rust affected his footwork, shot and rotations, but his scoring gravity, rim presence and floor-spacing potential remained visible, generating optimism despite Stephen Curry's absence.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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