What Happened to Kristaps Porzingis? Celtics Star Exits to Locker Room After Blow to Head Draws Blood

Game 2 between the Celtics and Magic was already missing star power with Jayson Tatum out — but just when fans thought things couldn’t get any wilder, Kristaps Porzingis got smacked so hard, it looked like a scene from a UFC pay-per-view.

Midway through the third quarter at TD Garden, with Boston leading 77-66, Porzingis caught a vicious elbow to the forehead from Magic center Goga Bitadze. It was totally unintentional, but it opened up a nasty gash that immediately had blood streaming down the Celtics big man’s face. And no, we’re not talking a paper cut. We’re talking towels-out, crowd-gasping, blood-pooling-on-the-floor type drama.

The refs whistled Bitadze for a Flagrant 1, and Porzingis took his sweet time getting up — towel pressed to his forehead, trainers flanking him, the whole gladiator exit vibe. TNT’s broadcast team suggested he’d need stitches, but Porzingis wasn’t about to let a little skull splitting ruin his night.

Just minutes later, he was back — head taped up like he’d just left a wrestling match, walking out to a standing ovation. The man literally smiled through the chaos, hyped up the Boston faithful, then calmly knocked down his free throws as fans chanted “K-P! K-P!” like it was a WrestleMania entrance.

Then? Yeah, he dipped back into the locker room to get patched up properly. But here’s the catch: by shooting those free throws, he made himself eligible to return to the game if needed — and with the Celtics grinding out a physical battle, that kind of grit was exactly what the crowd needed.

At the time of his injury, Porzingis had 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in just 27 minutes. In other words, he was cooking. While it’s still unclear whether he’ll need more medical treatment, early indications suggest it’s just a cut — nothing that should keep him out moving forward. But man, the moment was cinematic.

And then there’s Tatum — missing his first playoff game ever due to a bone bruise in his right wrist. The Celtics had declared him out just an hour before tipoff, following an awkward fall during Game 1 when he was fouled mid-air by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Though he initially brushed it off and finished that game, an MRI revealed the bruise.

Tatum showed up in street clothes, wrapped wrist and all, and did everything except check in. He cheered, he coached, he stayed locked in. Still, not having your franchise guy out there was a major blow — though Boston managed to hold it together with a gutsy team effort.

The Celtics went 8-2 without Tatum during the regular season, but both of those losses were to this same Orlando squad. With the series now shifting to Florida for Game 3, and Porzingis bandaged up like a war hero, all eyes are on Boston’s durability — and drama.

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