SAN FRANCISCO — When the Celtics face the Warriors on Wednesday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis could both face the Celtics for the very first time since their respective tenures in Boston ended last summer.
Porzingis is questionable to play against the Celtics as he continues to deal with a left Achilles tendon injury, while Horford is good to go.
How Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis have fared this season
Al Horford signed a two-year contract with the Warriors in free agency, while Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a cost-cutting move.
Now, both Celtics champions will lace up against their former squad.
Both players have had somewhat underwhelming years by their own standards.
Horford is averaging 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game, while shooting 42.9% from the field and 33.8% from three. He dealt with sciatica early in the season, ultimately appearing in just 34 of the Warriors’ 55 games.
Porzingis has yet to make his Warriors debut, but he averaged 17.1 points in 17 games for the Atlanta Hawks. Porzingis was traded to the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline after an injury-riddled first-half of the season. While the Celtics and Hawks faced off twice before the trade deadline, Porzingis did not lace up for either game.
While Porzingis is questionable to play, it seems likely he’ll be suiting up. At the Warriors’ practice on Wednesday, Porzingis indicated he’s likely to make his Warriors debut on Thursday against his former squad, per the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
“It’s gonna be weird, especially the first game back against Boston,” Porzingis said, per Washburn. “It’s gonna be cool, seeing all the guys again.”
Horford, meanwhile, is not on the injury report for the Warriors and thus should be good to go.
Both the Celtics, Warriors are missing key stars
For the Warriors, Jimmy Butler is out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, while Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation) and Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain) are also both out.
For the Celtics, the only player on the injury report is Jayson Tatum, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Tatum’s potential return continues to loom, but he said last week he has yet to make a decision about lacing up this season.
The Warriors (29-26) currently hold the Western Conference’s 8th-best record, while the Celtics (35-19) have the East’s second-best record.
