"Fluka held him back": Celtics fans go berserk over Kristaps Porzingis' monster game-saving plays

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis made multiple big-time clutch plays to seal the Celtics’ 102-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. His impressive performance had Celtics fans raving about his two-way impact.

Porzingis’ clutch plays include him blocking Grizzlies big man Santi Aldama’s layup attempt with Boston up 98-97 with 2:25 remaining.

Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane later nailed a 3-pointer to give Memphis a 100-98 lead with 1:48 left. However, shortly after, Porzingis tied the game at 100-100 after knocking down two critical free throws with 1:33 remaining.

The game was still tied with 1:01 remaining when Porzingis threw down a two-handed slam dunk off a feed from superstar teammate Jayson Tatum. The slam gave the Celtics a 102-100 lead, which they would never relinquish.

After Porzingis’ go-ahead dunk, Memphis still had multiple opportunities to tie or win the game. This includes during the game’s final play when Boston was scrambling defensively to stop the Grizzlies in transition.

Aldama ultimately missed an open go-ahead 3 with 4.0 seconds left. Grizzlies wing Ziaire Williams then secured the offensive rebound and attempted a fadeaway 18-footer for the tie at the buzzer. However, Porzingis was right there for the contest and ended up swatting the shot away to secure the victory.

Porzingis finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and six blocks on 69.2% shooting.

After his dominant performance, many fans praised the Celtics’ offseason deal that landed them Porzingis in exchange for fan-favorite guard Marcus Smart:

“Massive trade by Celtics for Porzingis ... helping at both ends of the court,” one fan said.

“They said we lost the trade, LMAO,” another said.

Meanwhile, others commented that the big man should be named an All-Star this season:

“Tingus Pingus is an All-Star this year,” one fan said.

“He’s had an All-Star start for Boston,” another said.

One fan even stated that Porzingis’ former teammate, Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic, held him back during his three-year stint in Dallas:

“Fluka held him back,” the fan said.

Here are a few more of the top fan reactions to Kristaps Porzingis’ game-saving plays against Memphis:

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Kristaps Porzingis on his dominant performance against Memphis

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis

Following his dominant performance against Memphis, Kristaps Porzingis spoke about how he was able to thrive on both ends. He said that he tried to capitalize on mismatches against the smaller Grizzlies:

“We just played our game,” Porzingis said.

“I tried to take advantage of some of the mismatches. It was just one of those games that kind of happened naturally.”

The win marked the Celtics’ sixth straight as they improved to a league-best 11-2 record.

Boston next plays against the Charlotte Hornets (3-9) on the road on Monday.