Kristaps Porzingis of the Celtics had 16 points in his season debut against the Clippers

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut in Monday night’s 126-94 loss to the LA Clippers.

Porzingis scored 16 points in just under 22:37 minutes in his comeback. Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring injury) both missed the game.

Porzingis has made rapid progress in his recovery from foot surgery in late June and has completed numerous workouts in the final weeks of practice with the Celtics and their NBA G League affiliate Maine.

“He has worked hard, he is in good shape. We will put him in a position to be healthy, successful and do the best for the team,” said Mazzulla. “He’s been pretty consistent just based on his work ethic and what he’s done to get to this point.”

Porzingis underwent surgery to repair a tear in the tissue that holds the ankle tendons in place. The problem limited him to seven playoff games during the Celtics’ NBA championship run last season.

The Celtics set standards for Porzingis to achieve during his rehab process, ensuring his body remained balanced to aid in the healing of his leg injury from last season. The original window for Porzingis’ return from surgery was five to six months; he returned in just under five months.

Porzingis came to the Celtics in a 2023 offseason trade and became an NBA champion for the first time last season in dramatic fashion. He recovered from a calf strain in the first round of the playoffs and played three games in the NBA Finals, including Game 5, after suffering his rare tendon injury in Game 2.

Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks per game last season.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.