Kristaps Porzingis Takes Part in Full Scrimmage as Return Nears

BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis took part in a full scrimmage with the Maine Celtics on Monday, playing opposite of Xavier Tillman Sr., who volunteered to provide competition against Horford so he could play while he’s remained out of Boston’s rotation since the end of October.

“It was good to get up-and-down,” Tillman told CLNS Media on Tuesday. “We played a full scrimmage. He looked good, moving good, feeling good. I think with anybody, when you haven’t played for months on end, you gotta find your rhythm, but he looked good, he looked really good, but I wouldn’t come in here thinking he’s just gonna drop 35 off the rip. He’s gotta get settled, get comfortable again, but he looked great.”

Multiple sources who saw the scrimmage, featuring four eight-minute quarters, were impressed by Porzingis’ performance, and while there’s still no definitive date for his return, it could happen sooner rather than later if his ramp-up continues to progress smoothly. Porzingis mentioned December, as the original prognosis for his recovery from surgery on his left leg in June, in an ESPN story before camp, but didn’t rule out November being possible. Brad Stevens said at the beginning of training camp that Boston was surprised by the rate at which he’s recovered.

Bringing the Maine Celtics down in full for the scrimmage begins the next phase of Porzingis’ recovery, the team’s release earlier this week said. Joe Mazzulla, before Tuesday’s game, said he only watched a little of the scrimmage and noted that Porzingis is working hard to return as soon as possible. Al Horford also got a look at the practice.

“Just excited to see KP out there,” Horford said. “He’s doing more and more stuff with us in practice, and it’s really encouraging. Obviously, we don’t know when he’s returning, but it’s exciting to see him doing more stuff with us, being more involved, playing and getting his legs underneath him.”

Porzingis has shot around, moving across the half court, draining shots and even dunking alongside Celtics assistant coaches in recent weeks. He has also traveled with the team going back roughly one month, and in Brooklyn last week, his more animated bench presence, speaking to the team in timeouts and motioning toward the floor while watching the game became noticeable. Jaylen Brown saw it as a sign that Porzingis will be back soon.

He won’t reach six months from the date of his surgery, June 27, until later in December and there’s no urgency to rush him back with the Celtics off to a 12-3 record following Tuesday’s win. Porzingis has expressed a desire to return as soon as possible from his injuries, though, and at a glance, his burst in pre-game shootarounds looks like the days leading up to his explosive Game 1 Finals return from a calf injury last June. Mazzulla thanked Tillman for helping Porzingis in the scrimmage.

“I was a hooper long before I became a NBA player and had an ego,” Tillman said. “So I just want to play basketball, so if I have an opportunity to play five-on-five, Imma do that.”