If Kevin Porter Jr. hadn't already cemented his role in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation, he did for sure in the team's most recent win against the LA Clippers.
Two weeks after being dealt from Los Angeles to Milwaukee, Porter faced off against his old team and played like someone out to show their ex they're doing just fine. With Bobby Portis out of the lineup as his 25-game suspension began, the Milwaukee Bucks needed someone to step up off the bench and provide scoring to alleviate pressure from the starters, and the ever-energetic Porter did just that.
In 15-and-a-half minutes, Porter scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Whether it was a tough dunk through contact or a sweet move inside that involved faking out two defenders before scoring, the guard flexed his entire bag of tricks in this outing with a handful of highlight plays. His 13 points, the most off Milwaukee's bench, were essential in a 116-110 Bucks' win.
It's still early, but the Bucks look like winners regarding deadline deal
With mere minutes to go before the NBA Trade Deadline ceased, the Milwaukee Bucks reached an agreement with the LA Clippers on a deal to acquire Kevin Porter Jr. In exchange, they shipped out third-year wing MarJon Beauchamp. It was clear that Beauchamp was not in their future plans - let alone their rotation - so the swap had the potential to immediately pay off for the Bucks.
And it has.
In three games since the trade, Porter has cemented his status as Milwaukee's backup point guard and someone who can help out nightly. Meanwhile, Beauchamp has played just five minutes for the LA Clippers, including zero in this matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Swapping the two without having to surrender draft capital has been a win for the Bucks, who needed some juice offensively after letting Khris Middleton go in the Kyle Kuzma trade.
Without Bobby Portis for the next 24 games, the Bucks will lean heavily on Porter to continue giving them a second unit spark offensively. It also helps to have another capable shot-creator in games when Damian Lillard is off like he was against the Clippers. If he can continue producing at this level, his importance as a member of the second unit will know no bounds.
This was a strong victory right out of the NBA All-Star break, and Milwaukee will need to keep this momentum going as they aim to establish some semblance of a groove down the stretch.
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