Kevin Porter Jr. Shines in Return, But Bucks Fall Late to Wizards
In just his second game back from a long injury layoff, Kevin Porter Jr. reminded everyone what he brings to the Milwaukee Bucks’ offense - speed, shot creation, and a scoring punch that can flip a game in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately for the Bucks, his night ended early with a back spasm, and without him down the stretch, Milwaukee couldn’t hold off the Washington Wizards in a 129-126 loss.
Porter finished with 30 points in 31 minutes, flashing the full arsenal. He attacked the rim with force, knocked down midrange jumpers, and buried threes with confidence. It was the kind of performance that makes you pause and think about what this Bucks team could look like with a fully healthy Porter in the rotation.
But late in the fourth quarter, with Milwaukee clinging to a lead, Porter came up grimacing after chasing an offensive rebound. He tried to play through it - even gave it another go on the next possession - but the pain in his lower back was too much.
He signaled to head coach Doc Rivers that he needed out, and after a quick check-in with the training staff on the bench, he headed to the locker room. At that point, the Bucks were up 111-108.
“I think it’s just my body still trying to ramp up,” Porter said after the game. “It tightened up on an offensive rebound with about five minutes left.
I tried to play through it a little bit. But then I tried it again and just caught it.
I wasn’t going to be able to lead my team with how my body was. So, that was that.”
It was a frustrating end to an otherwise electric night for the 23-year-old guard, who had already missed 19 games this season due to a sprained ankle and subsequent knee surgery. He originally hurt the ankle in the season opener - also against Washington - and then tore his right meniscus while rehabbing, requiring surgery on November 3.
Porter returned to action on November 29 against Brooklyn, logging 24 minutes and scoring 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting, with six assists. That outing was more about shaking off the rust. This one, though, was a statement.
He caught fire in the third quarter, knocking down back-to-back threes to push Milwaukee’s lead to 16. At that point, he had 23 points in just 26 minutes. He added seven more in the opening minutes of the fourth, continuing to pace the offense and keeping the Wizards on their heels.
Then came the spasm. Then came the shift.
Without Porter, the Bucks struggled to maintain control. Washington surged late, capitalizing on Milwaukee’s lack of a go-to scorer in crunch time. Porter, watching from the locker room, could only reflect on what might’ve been.
“It’s unfortunate of course with the loss,” he said. “I feel like if I was in there I could’ve helped control the game a little bit. It was unfortunate, especially the time it happened.”
Still, there’s optimism. Porter expressed confidence that he’ll be ready to go for the Bucks’ next game against Detroit. If his body holds up, and if this back issue proves to be nothing more than a temporary setback, Milwaukee may have just gotten their X-factor back.
Because when Kevin Porter Jr. is healthy and rolling like he was in D.C., he’s not just a spark - he’s a firestarter.