Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from struggle-filled loss to Utah Jazz

Bobby Portis provides a spark off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks in his return to the lineup

After missing Saturday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs as the Bucks look to be cautious with his hamstring tweak, Bobby Portis returned to the lineup Sunday. There was still a good amount of rust in his game as this was just his second appearance of the young season, but the big man left his mark off the bench.

Portis would score 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. While it was not the most efficient outing, he looked aggressive offensively as he took it inside and also knocked down some mid-range shots. He also displayed confidence from 3-point range, but he is still looking for success from there as he went 1-of-4 on the night, now shooting 1-of-7 on the season. With so much scoring needing to be replaced without Middleton, Holiday, and Lopez, Portis, along with Allen, proved to be big for the Bucks as they battled the Jazz. He would also haul in five rebounds, bringing that same fire on the glass that fans have gotten so accustomed to showing.

As the team remains cautious, Portis played just a tick over 19 minutes in the loss. Considering he is one of the most important players on this team, the Bucks certainly do not want to push the big man beyond his limits early on. It is great to see Portis out on the floor playing great basketball after missing the entire preseason and a majority of this season due to the hamstring issue. As he gets healthier, he should continue to get his legs back for the Bucks, which will be huge as they try to navigate these injuries.

The Bucks will try to get back in the win column as they take on the Detroit Pistons this Tuesday, and you can catch the action at 6:00 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin.