Kristaps Porziņģis returns to Warriors’ lineup after six-game absence

OKLAHOMA CITY — Golden State Warriors big man Kristaps Porziņģis will return to the floor on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder after a six-game absence due to an illness. Warriors coach Steve Kerr made the return official prior to the game and said Porziņģis would likely play around 15-20 minutes.

“Probably somewhere in that range,” Kerr said. “We got to see how he’s feeling once he’s out on the court.”

Porziņģis’ return comes as a bit of a welcome surprise for the Warriors, given that earlier this week the organization was still unclear on exactly what ailed Porziņģis and if it was related to the POTS diagnosis he discussed earlier this season with The Athletic’s Fred Katz. Porziņģis made his Warriors debut on Feb. 19 against the Boston Celtics and then remained out for the next few weeks with what the Warriors described as an illness.

The 30-year-old started doing more on-court work prior to the Warriors’ current three-game road trip and got in about a 30-minute shooting workout before Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets. He declined to comment after Thursday’s workout other than to say he was feeling better. Porziņģis was all smiles in the locker room prior to Saturday’s matchup — feeling relief that he was healthy enough to be back on the floor and helping his new team again.

Porziņģis was acquired just before last month’s trade deadline from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield. He enters Saturday’s game having played just 60 games over the last two seasons because of various health issues. Both Kerr and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy have both stated that the Warriors wouldn’t have made the deal for Porziņģis unless they felt he could stay healthy. He will take another step in his return on Saturday — and then another step if he plays again in Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

This story will be updated.