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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on January 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics handled business at TD Garden on Wednesday night, pulling away from the Golden State Warriors for a 120-99 victory. Jaylen Brown had 32 points. Jayson Tatum added 24 and 10 rebounds. Boston was in control for most of the night and rarely looked threatened.
But the most compelling moment of the evening had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
When Kristaps Porzingis walked into TD Garden in a Warriors uniform, the building gave him a tribute video. The reception was warm. The championship bond does not fade just because someone moves on.
After the game, Tatum made sure everyone understood exactly what Porzingis means to this group.
Celtics on CLNS
Kristaps Porzingis receives his tribute video from the Celtics ☘️💚 – @CLNSMedia
Celtics’ Tatum Speaks on What Porzingis Means to Boston
Warriors Kristaps Porzingis injury update vs Celtics
GettyKristaps Porzingis of the Golden State Warriors.
Porzingis spent two seasons in Boston before departing in 2025, eventually landing in Atlanta before joining Golden State midseason. His time with the Celtics was not without its complications. Injuries limited him throughout, but what he contributed when healthy left a mark. He averaged 20 points per game in the 2023-24 regular season and was part of the championship run that ended with a Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Tatum did not need much prompting after Wednesday’s game. The affection was genuine.
“It was cool, man. I miss the big fella,” Tatum said. “Happy to see him healthy, happy to see him out there playing.”
The comment about seeing Porzingis healthy carried real weight. The Latvian missed significant time in Atlanta and spent the opening weeks of his Golden State tenure working his way back to full fitness. Tatum watched all of it from a distance. Seeing him on the floor, competing again, clearly meant something.
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Jayson Tatum on playing against Kristaps Porzingis:
“It was cool, man. I miss the big fella. Happy to see him healthy, happy to see him out there playing. It was cool to see the reception that he got tonight and his tribute video… He’ll forever be a Celtic and remembered for
‘He’ll Forever Be a Celtic’
GettyKristaps Porzingis celebrates winning the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.
The tribute video was the moment that captured the evening. TD Garden acknowledged what Porzingis gave this city, and Tatum reflected on it afterwards with the kind of clarity that only comes from shared experience.
“It was cool to see the reception that he got tonight and his tribute video,” Tatum said. “He’ll forever be a Celtic and remembered for those two years, and obviously being a big piece of why we won a championship.”
Championship teams create bonds that outlast rosters. Tatum understood that better than anyone in the building on Wednesday night. “Every guy that was on that championship team, we’re bonded for life,” he said. “So it’s always good to see KP.”
Porzingis finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, but shot 4-of-13 from the field. The reunion was warm. The result was not what he wanted. That is just how it goes sometimes.
What This Celtics Team Is Building
Boston improved to 46-23 on the night and remains one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason. Tatum and Brown are both playing at an elite level, and Derrick White remains a key piece of the core that won it all in 2024. The depth has held up.
The Celtics are not just chasing another title. They are doing it with several of the same players who already know what it takes to get there.
Porzingis was part of that foundation. He helped build something that still feels very much alive, even without him in it.
Final Word for the Celtics
Porzingis is a Warrior now. The tribute video played, the crowd cheered, and then Boston beat him by 21.
That is how championship culture works. You honour what someone gave you, and then you compete like it is any other night. The Celtics did both on Wednesday.
The bond is permanent. The business continues.