Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench in a regular season game for the first time since 2017 on Friday night in a 134-133 Hawks’ loss to the Nuggets in Atlanta.

The former Celtics center was cleared to play for the Hawks for the first time since Nov. 25 after missing four games due to illness. Facing a minutes limit of 20, Quinn Snyder opted to move Porzingis into an unfamiliar bench role rather than making into his usual starting spot at center.

“Obviously, it’s not what I love, you know?” Porzingis told reporters in Atlanta. “But I think it makes sense in limited minutes, and I will do whatever is best for the team. When I say those words, I really mean it. I’m here just to help this team win.”

Porzingis made the most of his new role in the loss, scoring 25 points off the bench on 9-o

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