Porzingis was anxious to make season debut: 'I wanted to be out there'

Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut on Wednesday, registering 16 points, four boards, and a pair of blocks in the club's 104-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

The Latvian missed Dallas' first nine games after undergoing offseason surgery. While Porzingis admits he was far from his best, the 7-foot-3 center was just happy to be back on the court.

"I was doing as much as I could in the minutes that I had, and sometimes you don't make the best decisions when you really want to be aggressive," Porzingis said postgame, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "But it's OK, it's a part of it. I wanted to be out there, be aggressive for the time that I was going to be out there.

"Most importantly, first game and first win for me. Looking forward to the next one and just getting into a rhythm where everything comes easy and we find that chemistry out there. That's it, and then we'll take off."

Porzingis shot 6-of-16 from the field in 21 minutes of play.

Dallas acquired the All-Star big man from the New York Knicks in January 2019. He instantly provided the Mavericks with a bona fide No. 2 option alongside Luka Doncic, averaging 20.4 points, 9.5 boards, and two blocks over 57 appearances last season.