Kristaps Porzingis faced a notable injury during the Celtics’ 109-100 win over the Magic in Game 2, eliciting a typical response from his coach.
In the third quarter, Porzingis was struck in the face by an elbow from Orlando’s Goga Bitadze, causing blood to quickly flow from his forehead.
WARNING: The image below contains blood.
Kristaps Porzingis was bleeding from his head after an elbow from Goga Bitadze.
Bitadze was called for a flagrant 1 foul. pic.twitter.com/64nmKwESQZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 24, 2025
Initially, Bitadze was given a loose ball foul, which was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1.
Despite the visible injury, the Latvian center seemed to be in high spirits, flashing a wide smile as he departed the court for medical attention.
Kristaps Porzingis was born to play for the Boston Celtics.pic.twitter.com/rHqQHtMW5t
— 𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏’𝒔 𝑩𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓 (@Tatums0Burner) April 24, 2025
He later returned to the game to shoot his free throws, sporting an oversized band-aid prominently on his forehead.
This moment struck a chord with Boston fans, who saw it as the point at which Porzingis fully embraced his role as a Celtic.
After the game, Porzingis addressed the injury, stating, “Honestly, how could I not come back out? Like, ‘Oh, I have five stitches, I can’t play anymore.’ No. My legs work, everything works, and of course I’m going to be out there.
“And you know me. I enjoy these moments.”
Coach Joe Mazzulla expressed his satisfaction with the unexpected situation. True to his usual manner, he offered a unique view on Porzingis’ approach.
“I think [Porzingis] has an innate ability to take things very seriously while also maintaining a great perspective,” Mazzulla noted. “You see how I think he can control his environment really well with how he manages the crowd, handles physicality, and maintains his composure. He just has a great demeanor.”
Image Source: Joe Mazzulla @ Instagram
