Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Jokes He Loves 'WWE Moments' After Bloody Cut vs. Magic

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porziņģis suggested that he channeled his inner pro wrestler when he suffered a nasty cut on his forehead before returning to the court during Wednesday's 109-100 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Porziņģis said: "I love my WWE moments. And then you know me. I always love engaging with the crowd. And I already knew, getting hit again, blood again—the crowd was going to go with it."

Late in the third quarter, Porziņģis took a hard elbow to the face from Magic center Goga Bitadze. Porziņģis fell to the floor, and when he stood up, there was a bloody gash on his forehead.

As Porziņģis made his way to the locker room to receive five stitches to close the wound, he pointed to the home crowd and received a loud ovation.

By the time Bitadze was officially charged with a flagrant foul 1, Porziņģis was back on the floor with a large bandage on his head, and he shot free throws as Celtics fans cheered for him.

Porziņģis, who is a longtime fan of both wrestling and UFC, seemed unbothered by his injury, as he was all smiles upon returning to action.

The 7'2" Latvian star made it clear that physical play won't deter him or his teammates, telling reporters that the Celtics are "not going to let anybody punk us."

Porziņģis also explained why and how he was able to return to the game so quickly, saying:

"Honestly, how can I not come [back] out? Like, 'Oh, I have five stitches, I can't play anymore.' My legs work, everything works, so of course I'm going to be out there. And you know me. I like these moments. Coming back out again, getting a little love from the crowd. It just happens within the game and this is not going to stop me. So I'm going to keep going."

With star forward Jayson Tatum out for Game 2 after suffering a wrist injury during Boston's Game 1 win, Porziņģis was one of several players who stepped up in his absence.

Porziņģis was second on the team in scoring Wednesday with 20 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field and 10-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line, adding 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. He also had a team-best plus-15 rating when he was on the floor.

Boston now has a commanding 2-0 series lead over Orlando, and it will look to extend that lead to 3-0 when it faces the Magic on the road in Game 3 on Friday.