Milwaukee Bucks veteran Bobby Portis knew that he had to step up his game on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a late scratch for the game due to an Achilles injury, while Khris Middleton sat out his 11th straight game amid a lingering ankle problem.
Damian Lillard had to carry the burden for the Bucks with his two-star teammates out, but he sure got a lot of help from Portis.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis Sounds Off on Performance Vs. Clippers
As usual, Portis came off the bench against the Clippers to provide a scoring punch for the second unit. This resulted in 28 points for the 6-foot-10 big man on 12-of-18 shooting. He also added 16 rebounds, two assists and two triples in 30 minutes of action.
After the game, Portis acknowledged the fact that he had to put in some extra work with Antetokounmpo watching from the sidelines.
“The Freak is out … Giannis is out, I just feel like it is one of those times for me to just step up and be a little more aggressive,” said Portis, via Lori Nickell of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
And that’s exactly what he did.
As always, Portis also played a key role in firing up the squad during the game, particularly with the Bucks having to mount a comeback after the Clippers had amassed a significant advantage:
“Play with confidence,” Portis told his teammates. “Obviously there’s more shots out there for everybody when a guy like Giannis is not playing, so when the ball comes to you and you’re open, let it fly. Shoot with confidence. Don’t turn down open looks because that might be the best shot of the possession.’”
No Rush
Head coach Doc Rivers praised Portis after the game for his patience. According to the tenured shot-caller, the fact that Portis wasn’t rushing his shots played a key role in his outburst against LA.
“We have this joke with Bobby because he rushes sometimes. We always say that they’re not gonna grow,” said Rivers. “You know, ‘the guy was 6-7 when you got it. If you wait three seconds, he’s still going to be 6-7. Just take your time.’ And he’s starting to do that. It’s good to see.”
Portis echoed his coach’s thoughts:
“I’m ballin’ out there, doing my thing; I ain’t rushing no shots,” said Portis without blinking. “I might go quick when I think I’ve got an advantage. … I do what Bobby do out there.”
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