Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzingis was a bloody mess after taking an elbow to the forehead from Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze and suffering a large gash
Kristaps Porzingis looked barely recognizable after suffering a large gash on his forehead that caused blood to pour down his face.
The NBA Playoffs have featured no shortage of exciting moments thus far, including a fan’s viral attempt to throw off Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rui Hachimura’s battle through injury and Caitlin Clark’s guest appearance at the Pacers game. But it was Porzingis who stole the spotlight – albeit unintentionally – on Wednesday.
With just under one minute remaining in the third quarter of the Round 1 clash between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, center Goga Bitadze attempted to corral an offensive rebound in the paint. While trying to swat the ball out to a teammate behind the arc, the 25-year-old’s elbow slammed directly into Porzingis’ forehead – causing him to promptly crumple to the floor.
As blood began spurting out from Porzingis’ brow, trainers swiftly rushed to his aid and began applying pressure to the cut with a towel. The Celtics star was able to get up and head to the locker room under his own power – even waving his arms to hype up the crowd as he trotted down the tunnel. Bitadze, meanwhile, was called for a flagrant 1 foul.
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Upon returning to the game wearing a comically large bandaid with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter, fans in attendance at TD Garden rained down cheers and “KP” chants.
According to TNT’s Stephanie Ready, Porzingis needed multiple stitches to close up the open wound. “You noticed the bandage did decrease in size. I found out there are five stitches underneath it,” she said on the broadcast. “So that’s why he is all set and ready to go.”
Taking to social media, droves of NBA fans expressed their shock on the heels of the nasty collision. “Oh my goodness that’s a lot of blood from Kristaps Porzingis,” one X user wrote, with another adding: “Kristaps Porzingis eats a UFC style elbow and walks it off. LEGENDARY.”
Others took a far more lighthearted approach by poking fun at the incident. “Kristaps Porzingis looks like a unicorn that just got its horn ripped out of its head,” someone said. Another person declared, “Kristaps Porzingis looks like he just got into a car accident.”
A fifth chimed in: “Orlando Magic got Kristaps Porzingis looking like Kratos.”
Despite being forced miss some time while tending to his injury, Porzingis still managed to record 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Celtics’ 109-100 win – which provided Boston with a 209 lead over the Magic in the series.
The Celtics can ill-afford to lose Porzingis, who missed considerable time last postseason while dealing with health setbacks. The 29-year-old was sidelined for more than a month with a right calf strain he suffered in Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat.
Then in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. The rare injury kept him out for Games 3 and 4, though he was able to return for Game 5 en route to helping the Celtics secure an 18th championship.
