Bobby Portis knew that the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round series against the Indiana Pacers would be anything but a walk in the park. The two have played competitive games throughout the regular season, and those games were played with their star player present.
Now that the Pacers managed to split the series ahead of their return to Indianapolis, Portis and the rest of the Bucks know that they have to play a little harder or they’ll risk making an early exit in this year’s playoffs.
The 29-year-old Arkansas product looked at the series with a unique lens, and it might make the Pacers flattered or offended.
Portis talked about the Pacers’ attitude after the game, and his statements show a clear discontent towards how the Pacers conducted themselves throughout the game:
Bobby Portis calls Indiana out for being ‘front runners’
“I mean, just quite frankly, they’re frontrunners, bro. Y’all can just tweet that or whatever it is, bro. When the sh** going good, they laughing, clapping all that. When it’s going bad, they not saying nothing.”
(Via… pic.twitter.com/TkDJdzncbM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 24, 2024
However, it didn’t take long for him to reflect on his words and give a reason for their opponents acting this way.
Per Adam Echchaibi of Last Word on Sports:
“I think that’s just human nature and basketball. When you making shots, you feeling good. But when the tough [gets] going, you can’t get nothing going, it kind of go the other way. So, yeah, they’re supposed to feel good. They were hitting shots. They gameplanned really well…But Game 3 [is] on the way Friday.”
Portis had a solid game as Giannis continued to sit out of games. He finished Game 2 with 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 37.5% shooting. He needs to be more efficient with his finishing if the Bucks are going to take back the momentum from the Pacers in Game 3 and the rest of the series.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!