At the 10:09 mark of the fourth quarter, a Donte DiVincenzo triple gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a 24-point edge over the Milwaukee Bucks.
From that point on, the Bucks, who were sluggish for most of the game, finally clicked. The defense tightened up significantly, which led to more opportunities on offense. In the blink of an eye, not only were the Bucks back in the game, but they were ahead. Thanks to a 40-13 scoring differential in the fourth quarter, Milwaukee miraculously came back and won with a 110-103 final score.
It just might be Milwaukee's most thrilling victory of the year, and it comes at the perfect time as the team continues fighting for positioning in the standings. That said, let us highlight several standout performances from the win over Minnesota.
Stud - Kevin Porter Jr.
Things haven't been all great for the Milwaukee Bucks since the trade deadline, but their deal to bring in Kevin Porter Jr. has undeniably been a win. Porter had a masterful fourth quarter versus the visiting Timberwolves, dropping 12 points and four steals while providing immesurable energy to help get his team back into the game. In total, he finished with 21 points, five steals five assists and four boards. It doesn't get much better than that.
Stud - Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak has been a man on a mission lately, taking on far more responsibility with fellow star Damian Lillard sidelined as the Bucks await his potential return. Antetokounmpo had a triple-double in the win over Minnesota, dropping 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Not only did he shoot 5-of-6 in the final quarter, but he also had two key assists, one of which was a pretty pass to AJ Green for a corner triple to tie up the game. Giannis did it all, and the Milwaukee Bucks needed it.
Dud - Kyle Kuzma
A troubling trend involving the Milwaukee Bucks lately revolves around Kyle Kuzma getting benched late in games. That carried over into this one, as Milwaukee's starting small forward didn't step foot on the court in the fourth quarter. In the first three quarters, he had three turnovers two fouls and several missed looks that were questionable. While he did score 10 points, pulling him out of the game clearly proved to be the right decision.
Dud - Taurean Prince
Like Kyle Kuzma, Taurean Prince didn't play in the fourth quarter. He wasn't having a performance to write home about, scoring seven points on 3-of-9 shooting, including 1-of-6 from deep. On top of all that, the defense certainly wasn't making waves. It's easier to give Prince leeway over Kuzma due to the fact that the former makes significantly less, but these are the type of games the Bucks cannot afford to have from a key starter, especially when another is struggling so mightily.
Dud - Brook Lopez
Continuing the trend of Milwaukee Bucks getting benched in the fourth, Brook Lopez only saw about a minute and a half before being pulled. He was having a mixed performance to that point, scoring 10 points on nine shot attempts while also logging two turnovers and two fouls. Having Bobby Portis in the lineup once again made it easier to pull Lopez, and Doc Rivers rode that strategy for most of the fourth quarter to positive results.
Stud - Bobby Portis
After serving his 25-contest suspension, Bobby Portis returned to the Milwaukee Bucks' lineup and wasted no time getting himself into a groove. The big man finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. His sheer presence and energy got the Fiserv Forum crowd cheering like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which undoubtedly helped fuel Milwaukee's late comeback. He can be a frustrating player at times, but there's no doubt that Portis had an impact in this particular game.
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