Giannis Antetokounmpo, a star forward, was not available for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Sunday game against the Phoenix Suns. This simply meant that, while the former back-to-back MVP was sidelined due to injury, the rest of the team had to try to cover some of the hole.
An understatement would be to say that the Bucks responded beautifully. This led to an outstanding 140-129 victory over a highly skilled Suns team.
Bobby Portis Scores a Huge Point for the Bucks
Mar. 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: In the first half of play at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee Bucks player Bobby Portis (9) takes a shot against Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale (00). Mandatory Photo courtesy of USA TODAY Sports’ Michael McLoone
Veteran big man Bobby Portis, who helped his team with 31 points off the bench on Sunday, was one of the show’s highlights. From beyond the arc, the 6-foot-10 forward/center found fire, making all five of his deep shots fall short.
Lillard, who scored a game-high 31 points and distributed 16 assists to lead Milwaukee, was all praise for Portis’ outstanding effort against the Suns:
According to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Lillard stated of Portis, “We all know that he’s a scorer and he can fill it up.” “When he starts, he can really start and turn the tide of the game.” He made his first few shots, and I believe that when we saw that as a team, we just fed him. We were throwing the ball to him and he just kept it rolling whenever he had an inch or he was the next player, even if he was covered.
Mar. 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: In the second half at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0-0) attempts a jumper against Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3). Mandatory Photo courtesy of USA TODAY Sports’ Michael McLoone
Following a protracted injury layoff, Khris Middleton returned to action on Sunday, and he too made headlines by scoring an impressive 22 points in his first game back. After the big man’s eye-opening performance, the three-time All-Star also had to give Portis his roses. It all comes down to feeding the hot hand for Portis:
Middleton remarked, “He’s a guy; once he gets hot, let him keep going.”
With any luck, Portis will continue the fire in Milwaukee’s upcoming game. This takes the form of a highly anticipated Eastern Conference matchup on Wednesday night at the TD Garden against the formidable Boston Celtics.
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