Bucks Find a Spark with Portis in the Starting Lineup-But Late Collapse Overshadows the Experiment
The Milwaukee Bucks have been searching for answers without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup, and on Sunday, Doc Rivers tried something different: Bobby Portis got the start. It was a move born out of necessity, maybe even a little desperation. But for a while, it looked like the right call.
Milwaukee had gone six straight games without winning a first quarter. The offense had been flat, slow out of the gate, and lacking any real punch without Giannis' downhill force.
Jericho Sims had been filling in, but his skill set-while useful as a rim runner and paint presence-wasn’t doing enough to ignite the offense. So Rivers turned to Portis, a player who’s never short on energy or confidence, and someone who’s been one of the Bucks’ more reliable scorers off the bench.
Right away, Portis made his presence felt. He opened the game with a long two, then knocked down a three to account for five of Milwaukee’s first seven points.
The Bucks jumped out to a 13-4 lead and, for the first time in a while, looked like a team ready to set the tone early. They led by six after the first quarter-something that hadn’t happened in nearly two weeks.
Now, was it Portis’ most efficient outing? Not exactly.
He finished 7-for-17 from the field with 16 points and 11 rebounds. But efficiency wasn’t the point here-urgency was.
And Portis brought it. He kept the Bucks afloat during a brutal 23-2 Timberwolves run, and his corner three tied the game at 73 when it looked like the wheels were coming off.
The box score tells an interesting story: Milwaukee was +6 in Portis’ minutes, the best mark on the team that night. Sims, by comparison, was a net neutral.
And when Sims started against Toronto, he posted a -6. Portis, in that same game, was a +3.
The numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they speak to something real-Portis gives this team a different energy, especially when Giannis isn’t out there.
Still, all of that got buried under what came next: a late-game collapse that erased the early momentum and turned what could’ve been a feel-good story into another frustrating loss. The offense sputtered, the defense cracked, and whatever spark Portis helped ignite was ultimately snuffed out.
That said, this wasn’t a failed experiment-it was a step in the right direction. The Bucks looked better out of the gate.
They had more offensive juice early. And Portis, even on an off-shooting night, gave them something they’ve been missing: a frontcourt scorer who can create his own shot and bring some emotional edge.
Fans are understandably frustrated. The team hasn’t looked like a contender without Giannis, and Rivers has taken plenty of heat for the Bucks’ recent slide.
But credit where it’s due-starting Portis was a smart adjustment. It may not have flipped the result, but it changed the tone.
And right now, that’s something to build on.
With Indiana up next, the Bucks would be wise to stick with Portis in the starting five. Because while Sunday’s finish was forgettable, the first quarter showed what this team can look like when the right pieces are in place.