Will Kristaps Porzingis Play? Celtics vs Rockets Injury Report Dropped

Will one-time Boston Celtics All-Star center Kristpas Porzingis suit up for the first time since Christmas on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks?

Porzingis and three-time All-Star small forward Jaylen Brown were both listed as questionable to suit up earlier on Friday. Former five-time All-Star big man Al Horford, who jumped at center for Porzingis during Boston’s 118-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, has been ruled out — perhaps an unsurprising decision for Boston when it comes to managing the health of a 38-year-old on the second night of a back-to-back.

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The 7-foot-2 big man, along with six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday, was the critical final piece that put Boston over the top in 2023-24. The team had made the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and 2023, but hadn’t actually won a championship since its 2007-08 iteration — led by future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen — bested the Los Angeles Lakers. Adding a rim protecting big man with Porzingis’ scoring versatility was something of a coup for Boston. But his health history made him a risky proposition.

And to be fair, the 29-year-old has missed significant time.

Last season, Porzingis appeared in just 57 games for the 64-18 Celtics with various maladies, then quickly got hurt again in the playoffs. He ultimately appeared in just seven of Boston’s 19 postseason games, starting four, while a healthy Horford bore the brunt of center duties.

This year, Porzingis missed Boston’s first 17 games while recuperating from an offseason surgery. He sprained his left ankle midway through an eventual 118-114 home upset to the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day last week, and has been on the shelf ever since. Boston, one of the best teams in the league with a very talented top eight, has gone 18-4 in its games played without him this year.

Still, against the Atlanta Hawks’ center tandem of Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu (both of whom are healthy), the Celtics could use as much help as they can get. The team will need to lean on Neemias Queta, its third-string center, either way. He backed up Horford pretty effectively on Thursday, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbing five rebounds in 22 minutes.

Now, Porzingis’ official status has been confirmed for this contest. He is slated to play in this game.

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