By TAHA QURESHI
MILWAUKEE -- After what was described as a "scuffle" at the Bulls practice facility in downtown Chicago way back in October 2017, Bobby Portis lost his cool in practice and punched then teammate Nikola Mirotic in the face.
It was the kind of ugly news headlines no NBA player wants his name to be involved with. Mirotic suffered a fracture and a concussion, forcing the Spaniard to make a reported ultimatum to the organization that either he or Portis should be traded.
Four years later, Bobby Portis is back in the limelight, this time on a more positive note.
The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Portis is a fan favorite in Milwaukee, where the Bucks are attempting to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 47 years. They last won the title in 1971 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led them to the Promised Land.
The Bucks are one game away from the championship round, thanks to a 123-112 Game 5 victory that gave Milwaukee a precarious 3-2 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bobby Portis steps up
Starting in place of the injured Giannis Antetolounmpo (hyperextended knee), Portis played for 38 minutes and quickly stole the show with an All-Star like performace of 22 points, eight rebounds, and three steals.
A near capacity crowd of 17,341 fans at Fiserv Forum sernanded the 26-year old with chants of Bobby! Bobby!" during the course of Game 5 where the Bucks jumped to a 20-point first quarter lead, thanks in large to the enthusiasm and boundless energy Portis suppled.
Chosen by the Bulls as their 22nd pick in the 2015 draft, Portis was traded to the Washington Wizards on February 2019. He joined the New York Knicks for one season before signing a two-year, $7.4 million deal with the Bucks last November.
The second year of his contract is a player option worth $3.8 million, which means Portis can elect to be a free agent and test the market.
But it looks like he has found a home in Milwaukee.
"His teammates love him. He brings that passion for the game, for life," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
There is no question that the market will be bullish for Portis, who is averaging 11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in these playoffs.
For now, though, his focus in on the ongoing duel with the Hawks.
Game 6 is Sunday, Manila time and the Bucks will need more of his hustle and energy put the series away.
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