According to Milwaukee Bucks veteran Bobby Portis, Monday night’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers was an “ultimate team win.” The Bucks did not only mount a comeback against LA and their famed Big 3, but Milwaukee did so with both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton out injured.
It was Damian Lillard, along with Portis, who led the charge for the undermanned Bucks. As it turns out, the pair shared an epic moment right before their blistering fourth-quarter run that led to a 113-106 victory for the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis, Damian Lillard Knew It Was Go Time
The Clippers entered the fourth quarter of Monday’s contest up 81-73. At that point, Portis knew that the Bucks had to come out firing in the fourth quarter in order to give themselves a chance of stealing the game away.
The 6-foot-10 big man turned to Lillard to try and fire up the eight-time All-Star. As it turns out, however, Lillard already knew what needed to be done:
“I was sitting there after the third quarter ended. Malik (Beasley) hit a big shot to cut the lead to eight,” Portis said. “… Me and Dame were sitting there and I’m like, ‘Dame, s**t bro you tell coach that it’s time to go, man. Ain;t no point in sitting out right now. It’s time to go.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I just told him.’
“From there on it was just like, ‘Aight, bet let’s do it.'”
Before the fourth quarter Bobby Portis says he told Dame it’s time to go, tell coach there’s no point in sitting out now, and Dame looked back and said I just told him.
Dame and Bobby (and AJ Green) played the whole quarter. pic.twitter.com/1cQxObjTb7
— Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) March 5, 2024
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers didn’t even bother giving Portis or Lillard any rest throughout the final period.
Portis finished the win with 28 points and 16 rebounds in another massive performance. Lillard was even better, exploding for 41 points with four triples. The Bucks needed every ounce of Dame and Portis’ heroics for this one, and they made sure to deliver when it mattered the most.
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