The Milwaukee Bucks achieved a remarkable 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves following Bobby Portis's return from a 25-game suspension. Despite trailing by 24 points in the fourth quarter, the Bucks secured an impressive comeback win.
Portis delivered his characteristic vigor off the bench, logging 29 minutes and contributing 18 points and 10 rebounds in his first game back since the All-Star break. On February 20, Portis was banned for breaking the league's anti-drug program following testing positive for the painkiller Tramadol.
According to Portis, he accidentally consumed Tramadol. Mark Bartelstein, his agent, stated that Portis thought he was taking Toradol, which is authorized and something he had previously taken.
The ban persisted during a trying time for Portis, during which his grandma passed away, and his house was broken into. He responded by focusing on his blessings, leaning on his loved ones, and finding solace in playing basketball alone.
As the Bucks approach the last week of the season, that moment has come.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned in his pregame comments on Tuesday that it was understandable for Portis to initially feel upset by the ban, as one would feel labeled a cheater despite knowing they hadn't cheated. Rivers added that Portis probably required a couple of good weeks to recover from the situation.
The suspension cost Portis $2,858,701 in missing pay. In 46 games, he has a career-high 2.2 assists, an average of 13.7 points, and 8.3 rebounds. His 3-point shooting % (.364) and overall shooting percentage (.463) are at their lowest levels since 2019–20, the season he played his final season prior to joining the Bucks.
When Portis was suspended, Milwaukee was 29-24. In the 25 games he missed, the team went 15-10, and there were many ups and downs.
Following a 7-1 record in the first eight games of Portis' suspension, the Bucks experienced a significant downturn, losing nine of their subsequent 13 games, which highlighted deficiencies in their frontcourt depth. During this period, the team also faced the absence of Damian Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA guard. Lillard is currently sidelined indefinitely due to blood clots in his leg, potentially postponing his return. His last appearance on the court occurred on March 18.
Milwaukee has the head-to-head tiebreaker if the two teams end with the same record, but with three games remaining in the season, the Bucks are three games behind fourth-place Indiana. In the first round of the playoffs, the top four teams in each conference secure home-court advantage.