Kristaps Porzingis played 57 games for the Celtics last season and was key to their 2024 NBA title run.

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Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porziņģis is expected to make his season debut tonight against the LA Clippers (7:30 ET, NBA League Pass). Porziņģis is currently listed as likely to play.

Injury report for tonight vs. LA Clippers:

Al Horford (illness, non-Covid) – Questionable
Luke Kornet (tight right hamstring) – Questionable
Kristaps Porzingis (rehabilitation from left tibialis tendon surgery) – PROBABLY

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 25, 2024

Joe Mazzulla on whether Kristaps Porzingis will be on a minutes restriction tonight:

“We’ll do what’s best for him.” What’s best for the team.”

No update on whether it will start or not. Mazzulla says he has known for about a week that Porzingis is coming back today. pic.twitter.com/s05uzkfphT

— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) November 25, 2024

Porziņģis was expected to miss five to six months before undergoing surgery in June to repair a torn retina and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. The former All-Star underwent the surgery on June 27 and will be back in Boston’s lineup less than five months later.

Porziņģis suffered his injury in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and had hoped to postpone surgery until after the finals and Latvia’s Olympic campaign. He ultimately missed the 2024 Olympics but worked on his recovery for the 2024-2025 season.

His last game came in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, when he logged 16 minutes, scored five points and collected one rebound in Boston’s 106–88 win to capture the Celtics’ 18th NBA title. Porzingis missed Game 3 with a dislocated tendon in his left ankle. He was cleared to play a limited role in Game 4, but never completed his warm-up during Boston’s 122–84 loss in Dallas.

Last season, Porziņģis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% and 37.5% on three-pointers overall in 57 games. Porzingis played in the Celtics’ first four 2024 playoff games before suffering a right calf injury that sidelined him until Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Celtics are No. 2 in the Eastern Conference (14-3) and are 2 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for No. 1.

Boston has played just three games (fewest in the league) against the 14 teams that currently have winning records, though it is responsible for the Minnesota Timberwolves (9-8 before Sunday) losing their spot in that group. The Celtics face the 11-7 Clippers and 17-1 Cavs this week, which will also be just their third and fourth games against teams currently ranked in the top 10 defensively.

This report uses information from The Associated Press and John Schuhmann of NBA.com.