Entering the final frame of Sunday's matinee matchup, the Miami Heat possessed a 93-85 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Whenever the Bucks, who trailed for a good bit of the contest, made a run, Miami countered with one of their own. If Milwaukee wanted to win this game, they needed to turn things around late. One player who understood the task at hand was Kevin Porter Jr. The guard has been electric from the moment he set foot in town, and that continued against the Heat.
Kevin Porter Jr. gave the Milwaukee Bucks an essential jolt in the fourth
Gary Trent Jr. started the final quarter off on the right foot with a triple for the Bucks, but Porter took over from there.
On Milwaukee's next trip down the floor, the guard sunk a smooth step-back jumper. Moments later, he grabbed a rebound off a Miami miss and got fouled, sinking one of two free throws. He made up for the miss by stealing the ball from the Heat and making a tough reverse layup. Soon after, he sunk another step-back jumper to tie the game at 95. On the next trip down, he threw a lob to Jericho Sims to give the Milwaukee Bucks the lead.
In total, Porter finished the quarter with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting, two rebounds, two assists and a steal. Porter did it all, and it undeniably gave the Milwaukee Bucks a much-needed momentum boost to start the fourth. Outscoring the Heat 35-20 over the final 12 minutes, Porter's play was the catalyst for a late-game turnaround and yet another thrilling comeback victory.
Everything that Porter does well was on display in this stretch. His scoring was fantastic, flexing his smooth jump-shot and an ability to attack the hoop by carving through the defense. Meanwhile, his pristine passing also helped get others in on the action, as Sims scored his first bucket as a Buck on that play. Of course, his defense and active hands need recognition as well. He's a flat-out pest.
It's clear why Giannis Antetokounmpo recently raved about the Milwaukee Bucks' newcomer, as he is making a strong early impression with his new team. As Giannis alluded to, the deal to acquire Porter has been a flat-out steal for Milwaukee, and that sentiment will likely only continue to grow if he keeps playing like this for the Bucks.
Meanwhile, in the bigger picture, the Milwaukee Bucks moved to 32-24 and remain in a tight battle in the East standings. Getting a win over Miami, who is also firmly in the race, was huge.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.