Bobby Portis is back after missing six games.
It showed in the last six games how the Milwaukee Bucks struggled without their back-up big man as the team went 1-6, with the only win against the Western Conference’s worst team Utah Jazz.
Portis’ absences were due to personal reasons and the Bucks and head coach Doc Rivers remained mum about his mysterious time away from the team.
Turned out, it was a death in the family.
“Life comes at you kinda fast sometimes,” he told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm during shoot around ahead of their away game against the Charlotte Hornets.
“Just had to take some time away from the game and get the fam right at the crib. I lost my grandma last Thursday. the 23rd playing against the Heat, a month before her birthday too. Just a tough time for my family.”
He also said that it was the first ever funeral he attended involving family. He also reflected on how he did not see everything coming as the news arrived during their blow out of the Miami Heat and everything felt right for him.
“So, definitely an eye-opening thing. Can’t take this life for granted, so just put more into it.”
Bobby Portis is a much needed lift for Bucks
Before taking some time off, Portis was averaging above 13 points and around 8 rebounds per game.
Aside from the numbers, what he provides for the team is a relief for their starting bigs Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.
Doc Rivers previously bemoaned that he has to extend the minutes of his front court due to the absence of Portis.
The exhaustion showed first in their loss to the San Antonio Spurs when Antetokounmpo the primary defender to Victor Wembanyama and by the time the fourth quarter came, he slowed down.
The same thing happened against the Memphis Grizzlies when Jaren Jackson Jr. had a feat.
On Wednesday against the Hornets, Bobby Portis is expected to take a more prominent role after Antetokounmpo was scratched off from the line-up in the last minute due to left calf tightness.
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