The past two nights could not have been any different for the Milwaukee Bucks.
On Tuesday, Milwaukee beat the breaks off the Detroit Pistons, knocking down triple after triple to move to 4-0 in Emirates NBA Cup play while extending their win streak to seven games. However, in their very next game against the Atlanta Hawks, which was the very next night, that version of this group was not present. They were slow, sluggish and, frankly, tired, losing 119-104.
It wasn't like that to start, however. In fact, the Milwaukee Bucks had a 10-point lead midway through the first frame. Leading by nine with 5:26 left in the period, things went downhill for the Bucks when Bobby Portis clocked in for his first minutes of the night.
Bobby Portis' struggles continue to hinder the Milwaukee Bucks
In just under five-and-a-half minutes of action in the first, Portis posted an abysmal -13 plus/minus as the Hawks turned a nine-point hole into a three-point lead over the next few minutes. His rating in that opening period was the worst on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks finding their footing to conclude the first was not all Portis' fault, but him coming in marked a turning point in this game.
It didn't get better from there.
For the game, Portis tallied just six points on 2-of-6 shooting, three turnovers, three personal fouls and an absolutely foolish technical foul. That goes without mentioning the countless lapses on the defensive end and the struggles to make an impact on the glass. He did have three assists and two steals, but that simply could not overshadow his stomach-churning showing.
The technical foul may have been the worst part. With Milwaukee trailing by nine points and looking to make a run, Portis picked up a technical as he was being subbed out, giving the Hawks a chance to hit another shot and grab a double-digit lead. Portis has always played with his heart on his sleeve, but plays like this are costly, especially when the team is trying to claw back into the game.
The Milwaukee Bucks have some legitimate questions to answer with Bobby Portis. He has taken a big step back this season, and his recent play has been cause for concern. Whether it's via trade or building off the recent youth movement and giving another young player more minutes, the Bucks may need to shake things up in their frontcourt.
If they take the trade route, the perfect target may have been on the opposing sidelines on Wednesday.
Again, Milwaukee's loss is not all Bobby Portis' fault. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed 11 free throws in a game that was constantly in striking distance. AJ Green knocked down just two of his 11 triple tries. No one could pass the ball consistently without turning it over. It was a group effort, but still, there's a microscope on Portis due to how consistent these many lapses have been lately.
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