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Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis is targeting a December return from offseason ankle surgery.

“The expectation is sometime in December,” he told ESPN on Tuesday. “But I’m feeling really good and I’m working towards hopefully playing earlier than that.”

The original timetable for his return from his surgery in late June was five to six months. His injury occurred during the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, which the Celtics won in five games.

General manager Brad Stevens sounded hopeful when he spoke with reporters at Boston’s media day Tuesday.

“Kristaps obviously had the surgery that was well documented after the year and seems to be recovering well,” Stevens said.

“He’s very optimistic, I think, I don’t know that we’re interested in putting a timeline on him because the injury is unique, but as far as how he feels and the progress that he’s made, I’d say we’re very, very pleased with where he is and maybe a little surprised.”

The 7-foot-2 Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks in 57 games (all starts) in his first season with Boston in 2023-24.

Porzingis, 29, has career averages of 19.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks in 459 games (458 starts) with the New York Knicks (2015-18), Mavericks (2019-22), Washington Wizards (2022-23) and Celtics.

Porzingis was an All-Star in 2017-18 with the Knicks, who drafted the Latvia native with the No. 4 overall pick in 2015. Repeatedly derailed by injuries, he missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL and has played fewer than 60 games in five of his last six campaigns.

–Field Level Media