Kristaps Porziņģis make Celtics history in win over Bulls
In Wednesday’s 122-100 victory over the Chicago Bulls, the Boston Celtics were able to make the three-point shot fall. But no Celtic was more noticeable from beyond the arc than center Kristaps Porziņģis.
Porziņģis has always been known as an effective three-point shooter for a seven-footer, but on Wednesday he made Celtics franchise history, nailing eight triples in the win. He set a new Celtics record for most made threes by a center in a single game (via StatMuse). The previous record of seven was set by Raef LaFrentz on Nov. 13, 2005 against the Houston Rockets.
“Honestly, today, I didn’t feel perfect, before the game,” Porziņģis said postgame about his historic performance. “My energy was not crazy, but sometimes you have good games like that. But overall, I’m getting in good shape, and my shot, most importantly, is feeling smooth and feeling good.”
Not only does Porziņģis’ performance set a new three-point standard for Celtics centers, he is one of only eight centers in NBA history who have made eight or more threes in a game (via StatMuse).
Although he has missed time over his Celtics career due to injury, it is undeniable that when Porziņģis is available for the C’s his contributions are palpable. Moreover, he is one of the few centers in the NBA that fits very well in the Celtics’ three-point-heavy system.
It should be reassuring to Celtics fans that Porziņģis is almost back to his regular self, and his shot has proved to once again be effective after beginning the season with an injury. His availability and shooting skill will be a key piece to the Celtics’ lineup down the stretch, adding a combination of skill and size to the center position.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore communications student at Northeastern University. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.