Damian Lillard sat out for a second straight game due to a right calf soreness but lucky for the Milwaukee Bucks, they have Kevin Porter Jr.
KPJ showed once again why the Bucks won the traded deadline by scoring 18 points against the Sacramento Kings, with most of it coming in the fourth quarter when they were trying to take over the game.
The game was tied at 97 at the 7:53 mark while Giannis Antetokounmpo was resting on the bench. First, he made an assists to Gary Trent Jr. for a three point shot then he himself scored five straight points to steady the ship.
Bucks went on to win the game by six points and Porter Jr. was there until the last second.
Him staying on the floor until the final buzzer is a testament to how important he has grown to the line-up since arriving there in early February.
Ryan Rollins may be getting the start in place of Dame but KPJ is an irreplaceable spark of the bench.
Kevin Porter Jr. leads Milwaukee Bucks support for Giannis
The Bucks’ latest win, their second straight, will not happen largely if not for Antetokounmpo who decided to be dominant in the third quarter. He scored 22 of his 32 in that frame to keep the Bucks in the game.
They were down by 12 points going to the locker room. They even surrendered the first four points in the first two minutes of the third.
Although it was just another day of the freakishness of the Greek, KPJ knows they have to step up, too. That’s what he felt seeing Antetokounmpo hard at work during that moment.
“I mean, Giannis’ third quarter sets everything off: His energy, him being a leader, coming out fast definitely got us up and elevated on the bench and ready to go and take it up a notch when he was ready to rest,” Porter said when asked about his brilliant night.
“We know as a bench unit we gotta come out and be ready especially when the energy is like that and it’s contagious, we can’t let it slow, we gotta stay our foot on the gas.”
The Greek Freak will need Kevin Porter Jr. and the rest of the supporting unit again on Monday when visit the Phoenix Suns, the fourth team in their five-game road trip in the West.
They will wrap things up on Wednesday when they travel to Colorado to play against the Denver Nuggets.
For more great Wisconsin sports content
Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for the latest and trending news about Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Marquette, and the rest of Wisconsin Sports. Stay updated by reading more of our Wisconsin Sports articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
