The Boston Celtics are 14-3 after a Sunday afternoon win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The news came on Monday that the defending champion would receive reinforcements.

CelticsWire’s Cameron Tabatabaie first reported Monday afternoon that Kristaps Porzingis is returning from injury and will make his season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed the development a few minutes later. The 7’2″ center missed the start of the season while recovering from offseason foot surgery due to the unusual foot injury he suffered in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics haven’t missed much without Porzingis, a reflection of their performance without the Latvian big man in last year’s playoffs; Porzing will suit up for just seven games during Boston’s sprint through the postseason gauntlet. The Celtics are second in the East after the first seventeen games of the season, just behind the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the Celtics don’t necessarily have to do that need Porzing will be winning games thanks to the combined All-NBA talents of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, his return a boon to their hopes of repeating as NBA champions. Boston’s interior defense has suffered greatly without Porzingis’ presence in the paint and their depth at center behind Al Horford has been tested.

Porzingis, 29, averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 57 regular-season games for the Celtics last season.