Porzingis keys win over Pacers in Wizards debut

March 7, 2022 World Sports

Kristaps Porzingis finally made his debut for the Washington Wizards — and didn’t need much time to make a big impact.

Porzingis scored 25 points in his first game for Washington, and the Wizards beat the Indiana Pacers 133-123 on Sunday night. Porzingis returned from a right knee bone bruise and played for the first time since the Wizards acquired him from Dallas in a trade nearly a month ago.

It was his first game overall since Jan. 29. He started and played a significant role despite playing only 21:19.

“Happy to be out there with a minutes restriction,” Porzingis said. “I tried to stay calm, not to do too much, play the right way. Most importantly, we got the win.

Washington went right to the 7-foot-3 Porzingis on its first offensive possession, throwing a lob his way. He couldn’t quite slam it down, but he did manage to tip the ball in. Later in the first half, Porzingis provided another highlight when he blocked Oshae Brissett near the basket, although Brissett scored over Porzingis immediately afterward.