MIAMI — With just over 30 seconds remaining in overtime, Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. brought the ball across half court with a two-point lead. As Porter dribbled in the right corner of the frontcourt, he looked across the floor to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the last offensive player to cross the center line.
While Porter assumed the Bucks would try to finish the game with him in a pick-and-roll with Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP had a different idea.
“He had the ball. He looked at me,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “I said, ‘No. Just get Brook (Lopez) in the pick-and-roll and get to your spot and make something happen.’”
As Porter directed traffic from the right corner, Antetokounmpo did the same from the left corner. Then, the Bucks’ all-time leading scorer watched from the left wing as his team’s final trade deadline addition went to work with Lopez to try to close out the Miami Heat.
Through an act of ballhandling wizardry, Porter split a double team, then flipped in a highly contested finger roll to give Milwaukee a four-point lead with 10.8 seconds remaining in the extra period.
TOO TOUGH. 😤 pic.twitter.com/wk6TJJmRaj
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 6, 2025
“He’s so much fun to watch,” Lopez said of Porter. “Oh my goodness. The stuff he does when he’s aggressive, going downhill, playing off that pick-and-roll in transition. Those finishes. Phew, man, he can hoop.”
Porter’s incredible finish in the clutch was enough to give the Bucks the edge needed to close out a 121-115 win over the Heat. Milwaukee (43-34) took sole possession of fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with the win, and has a half-game lead over the Detroit Pistons (43-35) as the team heads to New Orleans for the second game of a back-to-back against the Pelicans on Sunday.
“Fortunate enough I’ve been in those moments where one shot can win the game, or one play, so I just trusted my work, trusted myself and I felt good and confident when I got the trust in my teammates to make that last play,” Porter said. “Those are the moments we live for. I love being in those moments, and I’ll take that shot every chance I get.”
Porter was the game’s breakout star with 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Antetokounmpo was brilliant for the Bucks once again. In 43 minutes, Antetokounmpo put up 36 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, putting him in the exclusive company of two all-time NBA greats. On Saturday, Antetokounmpo joined Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to put up consecutive games with at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
While Antetokounmpo’s metronomic play put Milwaukee in position to win Saturday’s game in Miami, Porter’s strong play in the fourth quarter and overtime ultimately gave the Bucks enough to pull out a come-from-behind victory.
With the team down by seven points to open the fourth quarter, Porter fueled a 7-2 run that helped cut the Heat lead down to two points, and he did it while working in the two-man game with Antetokounmpo.
https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/04/06061106/jgr5x1_1.mp4
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said postgame that getting Porter to attack downhill to the rim — like he did on the play above — has been an emphasis for the 24-year-old point guard.
Porter has been a spectacular shooter from the mid-range with the Bucks, knocking down 55 percent on those jumpers, per Cleaning the Glass, but stopping at the free-throw line and looking for that shot effectively ends any play the team is running. Rivers said he believes there is more good to be found in getting all the way to the rim.
“We need somebody to get downhill,” Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like there’s some plays that he’s able to get downhill and he stops around the elbow. And I’m like, ‘Ah, keep going! Like you can go all the way.’ And there’s sometimes he goes all the way and he’s incredible.
“He has to keep on reading the play. Whenever it’s there, you’ve got to take it because he’s really good. He is a great finisher. And if he doesn’t finish, he’s probably going to be called for a foul. But we trust his decision-making and whenever he’s under control, he’s very good for our team and he makes the right play.”
As the game progressed, Porter continued to attack downhill, creating problems for the Heat defense. Simple plays, like pushing the ball up floor in transition, led to easy looks for his teammates with Porter constantly trying to attack.
With the Bucks down by five with just over two minutes remaining, Porter grabbed a rebound and created an opportunity for Antetokounmpo to attack in semi-transition, which led to a catch-and-shoot 3 for Porter.
https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/04/06063128/z82nze_1.mp4
As Antetokounmpo tried to create something late in the shot clock in overtime, Porter put himself in position to grab an offensive rebound on a Lopez 3-point attempt and then made a tough bucket to tie the game.
https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/04/06063716/6j9wtj_1.mp4
When Taurean Prince made a mistake inbounding the ball a few possessions later, Porter hustled back on defense and corralled a 50-50 ball when Prince made up for his own mistake with a steal. That hustle play allowed him to find Antetokounmpo streaking down the floor for a dunk to give Milwaukee a late lead.
Steal and slam for the lead! pic.twitter.com/Agaqes8dxY
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 6, 2025
“When I get downhill, it opens up for everyone, including myself, so I just gotta make that a point each and every game,” Porter said. “A lot of drives. A lot of drives and kicks and that’s what helps our flow of the offense and I’m gonna try to make it a point to do that every night.”
Since joining the Bucks, Porter has gone through some ups and downs as he’s tried to find his way, playing different roles as the team has dealt with various injuries and absences. But he gave them exactly what they needed on Saturday, and his strong performance helped them pull out a hard-fought road win to keep their positive momentum going with a week left in the regular season.
(Photo: Brennan Asplen / Getty Images)
