Kristaps Porziņģis Reflects on Dallas Return, Mavericks' Outlook, Acknowledges Celtics’ Need for 'Killer Instinct'

Kristaps Porziņģis speaks on Mavericks' outlook amid injuries and Celtics' growth, offering insight after Boston's win over Dallas

Photo: Dallas Mavericks

DALLAS — Kristaps Porziņģis played at the American Airlines Center on Saturday as a former Maverick for the first time and as an instrumental part of the Boston Celtics’ 122-107 victory over Dallas. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2022, and his Celtics squad defeated the Mavs in the NBA Finals, but he could not play in those previous games due to injury.

“This is the first time, it’s weird,” Porziņģis said about his first game back in Dallas. “It was good. It’s always a nice atmosphere here, good memories from here. I have, not good, great relationships here with many people. I miss a lot of these nice people. It’s always good to come back.”

Porziņģis, who tallied 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two blocks, was part of a Celtics squad that has struggled with consistency. While the win improved the Celtics to 32-14, Porziņģis wasn’t shy about offering a frank assessment of his team’s performance this season.

“We’re definitely working toward getting our killer instinct back,” Porziņģis said. “Some moments we’ve looked very good, some moments not so good, some moments we’ve cruised a little bit. It’s been a mix of everything.”