NBA: Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis hopes to bring revenge tour to Boston

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis will face a familiar foe when the Warriors visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Porzingis spent two seasons with the Celtics before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks after the 2025 season. He was then sent to Golden State in February in exchange for guard Buddy Hield and forward Jonathan Kuminga. Over his NBA career, Porzingis has also played for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Wizards.

"He's quite a talent," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "We're also on the Kristaps Porzingis reunion tour. It's kind of crazy—we are playing every one of his former teams: the Knicks, Washington, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas. Players usually get up for playing against their old team, and I think that's the case with Kristaps."

Porzingis delivered a 30-point performance Monday night, the most he has scored in a game since joining the Warriors, helping Golden State end a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 win over Washington. He shot 8-for-13 from the field and made 13 of 14 free throws.

"He's gotten his legs underneath him," Kerr said. "You could see it. He just scores so easily. He really closed the game with his free throws. Not a great basketball game, but we needed the win and were good enough to get it."

Porzingis faced Boston for the first time as a Warrior on Feb. 19, but Wednesday will mark his first game in Boston since leaving the Celtics. He was a key contributor when Boston won the 2024 NBA championship.

The Celtics, coming off a 120-112 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday, are 2-2 in their last four games. Jaylen Brown led the way with 41 points, while Jayson Tatum added 21. Brown scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, including 14 of Boston’s final 16 points.

Tatum noted the strong chemistry he and Brown share in critical moments.

"I think we've done a really good job of that over the last nine years, especially probably these last six," Tatum said. "We've just found a way to complement each other on both ends of the floor and win a bunch of basketball games, playoff series, and even a championship. It's something we've been doing for a long time."

Monday’s win over Washington was also a milestone for Kerr, marking the 600th victory of his NBA coaching career. He became the 28th coach in league history to reach that mark, achieving it in 943 regular-season games. Only Phil Jackson (805), Pat Riley (832), and Gregg Popovich (887) reached 600 wins in fewer games.

"It's surreal to hear my name in that group," Kerr said. "But I can tell you one thing that bonds us all together—those names and mine—it’s talent. You can't win in this league without great players, and I was blessed from the day I took this job with incredible talent."

-Field Level Media/Reuters