Kristaps Porzingis Has Become Boston Celtics Fan Favorite As NBA Finals Shifts To Dallas

BOSTON -- It didn’t take long for Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis to become a fan favorite in Boston.

Now putting the finishing touches on his first season with the Celtics, Porzingis was acquired from the Washington Wizards last June as part of a three-team deal that also included the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bringing in Porzingis came at a cost, though, as Boston had to deal guard Marcus Smart, the team’s longest-tenured player at the time, to Memphis.

Losing who many considered to be the heart and soul of the organization in Smart was a tough pill to swallow, but Boston fans have had no problem embracing Porzingis -- and that was on full display during Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals.

Porzingis had missed the 10 games leading up to the Finals due to a calf strain, but he made his return on Thursday for Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla decided to bring Porzingis off the bench, but the former Maverick didn’t have to wait to check into the game to get a warm reception from the Boston faithful.

Porzingis’ trip through the tunnel was shown on the jumbotron, with TD Garden quickly coming to life as the prized offseason acquisition got closer and closer to the court. Once he emerged from the bowels of the arena, Celtics fans nearly blew the roof off the building, providing what was without a doubt the loudest moment of pregame festivities.

And the fun didn’t stop there.

Porzingis got the same WWE-style entrance on Sunday, and perhaps this one came even closer to breaking the sound barrier after Boston star Jaylen Brown challenged the entire city to be more involved in the series following Thursday’s 107-89 victory.

“I thought the crowd was good,” Brown said of the Game 1 spectators. “I think we can be a little bit better. So I expect us to be even louder. Sunday, we are going to need our fans to be hyped. It's not just team vs. team. It's crowd vs. crowd. It's gas station vs. gas station. Supermarket vs. supermarket. It's the whole city vs. the whole city. We need everybody.”

Fans answered the call, and the Celtics came away with a 105-98 win to pull within two victories of their 18th title in franchise history.

But now the series shifts to Dallas, where Boston presumably won’t have the luxury of having Mark and Donnie Wahlberg courtside. Chances are, Celtics legend Paul Pierce won’t be standing outside of the arena hyping up fans, either. Pierce did so ahead of Game 2 as doors opened.

While it will be nice to get out of the hostile environment, Mavericks star Luka Doncic knows home court only provides an advantage if Dallas gives the fans a reason to celebrate -- something the Mavericks have yet to do.

“We've got to make shots. We've got to make free throws and less turnovers,” Doncic said of what needs to happen in Games 3 and 4. “Those three things I think are the key for a win -- to win (at home).”

Kyrie Irving is likely among those who are most excited to get back to Dallas.

There were too many “Kyrie Sucks” chants to count over the course of Games 1 and 2, and the video-board operator had some fun ahead of Sunday’s contest by putting up a picture of Irving with the quote, “I thought it was gonna be a little louder in here,” layered over it.

Irving dropped that bar after Thursday’s game, and Boston fans ran with it.

However, it’s been the Celtics who have had bragging rights in their rivalry with Irving, as the former Boston guard is 0-12 in his past 12 games against the Celtics. Irving has been a villain ever since shagging off Boston to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in June 2019.

Irving is confident that the Mavericks will take care of business at home -- at least once. As he was walking off the court following Sunday’s loss, he held up five fingers while nodding his head at Boston fans to signal that there will in fact be a Game 5 next Monday.

“You want to take advantage of playing in front of your home crowd, feeling confident and being able to play in a familiar place,” Irving said. “They handled what they were supposed to do, first two games, and now it's our job to go home and handle our business.”

Game 3 is set for Wednesday.