Pro Hoop Hogs report: Portis’ near-perfect shooting propels Bucks to comeback win, earns him PHH Player of the Week honors

By Kevin McPherson

LITTLE ROCK — Former Arkansas star Bobby Portis put together a brilliant, near-perfect performance, including a combination of hot shooting and key defensive plays in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, to spark Milwaukee’s come-from-behind 118-113 road win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Portis (6-10 forward / center, Little Rock native, 10th NBA season) scored a season-high 23 points (9-of-10 field goals, including 5-of-5 from 3) to go with 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal, and a boxscore plus-12 in 31 minutes in the win.

Portis contributed 12 of his points in the fourth quarter, which included 4-of-4 shooting from 3 with his final triple coming at the 2:08 mark to give the Bucks the lead for good at 109-108. On the ensuing defensive possession, Portis blocked Nets star guard Dennis Schroeder’s driving shot attempt, leading to a transition dunk by Milwaukee superstar forward Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo to give the Bucks a 111-108 advantage with 1:09 remaining in the game.

For his production and impact on winning in week 6 of the NBA season, Portis has been named Pro Hoop Hogs Player of the Week. It’s his second PHH POW honor this season.

Portis has played off the bench in all but one of the 22 games he’s appeared in, averaging 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 23.8 minutes while shooting 46.3% from the field, including 37.0% from 3, and 73.1% from the free throw line for the 12-11 Bucks. Named one of three finalists in each of the previous two seasons for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Portis has consistently been the league’s top reserve (and part-time starter) spanning the past four seasons.

Here’s how the 10 other Pro Hoop Hogs fared in the NBA last week…

- Daniel Gafford (6-10 center, El Dorado native, sixth NBA season) continues to play off the bench for Dallas, and in three games last week he averaged 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while helping the Mavs to a 3-0 record. Gafford has started 12 of the 23 games he’s played in for Dallas (16-8), averaging 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists in 21.0 minutes per game while shooting a league-leading 73.2% from the field and 69.2% from the free throw line. He’s earned two PHH POW honors (week 3 and week 5) so far this season.

- Isaiah Joe (6-4 guard, Fort Smith native, fifth NBA season) had a season-high 19 points (7-of-11 field goals, including a season-high 5-of-9 from 3) to go with 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 block in 21 minutues in OKC’s 133-106 home win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, Dec. 3, clinching one of eight quartefinal spots for the Thunder in the NBA Emirates Cup In-Season Tournament. Joe played in all three of OKC’s games last week — all wins — averaging 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 52.9% from distance in those three contests. Joe has played in 21 games (with 9 starts) for the Thunder (18-5), averaging 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.7 minutes per game while shooting 38.3% from 3. His 19 drawn charges ranks 6th in the NBA this season. Joe has earned one PHH Player of the Week honor (week 2) so far this season.

- Moses Moody (6-5 guard, Little Rock native, fourth NBA season) played in all four of Golden State’s games last week, which included his 13-point, 2-rebound, 1-assist, 1-steal effort in the Warriors’ 119-115 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Moody has appeared in 23 games (with 4 starts) and is averaging 7.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15.6 minutes while shooting 42.0% from the field, including 36.6% from 3, and 71.4% from the free throw line for the 14-9 Warriors. Moody was named PHH Player of the Preseason, and he followed that up with PHH Player of the Week honors in week 1 of the regular season.

- Jaylin Williams (6-9 forward, Fort Smith native, third NBA season) did not play in the preseason and has not played yet in the regular season as he is recovering from a nagging hamstring injury that has been problematic for weeks. One of the league leaders in charges taken spanning his first two seasons in the league, Williams has appeared in 118 total games with 37 starts for Oklahoma City. Last season, he averaged 4.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 13.0 minutes per game while shooting 41.7% from the field, including 36.8% from 3, and 80.5% from the free throw line. Williams has been an integral part of the Thunder’s two-deep rotation in both seasons.

- Anthony Black (6-7 guard, second NBA season) appeared in all four games last week for Orlando, averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 block as the Magic went 2-2. Black has played in all 26 of Orlando’s games, making one start and averaging 8.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per outing while shooting 41.6% from the field, including 24.6% from 3, and 71.7% from the free throw line for the 17-9 Magic. He has season-highs of 20 points and 9 assists, both tallied in the same game in November. Black has one PHH POW honor so far this season.

- Nick Smith, Jr. (6-3 guard, Jacksonville native, second NBA season) played in all four of Charlotte’s games last week, averaging 4.3 points, 1,8 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 12.3 minutes off the bench. Smith has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 3.1 points while shooting 8-of-26 from 3 (30.8%) in 9.3 minutes. Last season, Smith appeared in 51 games for the Hornets and led all NBA rookies in three-point field goal percentage on respectable volume — 63-of-146 for 43.2%. He also shot 86.7% from the free throw line on low volume.

- Jordan Walsh (6-6 wing, second NBA season) appeared in two games for Boston last week (both wins), totaling 4 rebounds in a combined 20 minutes. Walsh has appeared in 16 games (with one start), averaging 1.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.8 minutes per outing while shooting a collective 8-of-26 from the field (30.8%), including 5-of-20 from 3 25.0%) for Boston (19-5).

- Ricky Council IV (6-6 guard, second NBA season) competed in two games last week for Philadelphia, totaling 11 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and 1 block in a combined 28 minutes. Council has appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per outing while shooting a collective 25-of-61 from the field (41.0%), including 7-of-27 from 3 (25.9%), and 18-of-21 at the free throw line (85.7%). He’s scored in double-figures twice this season.

- Mason Jones (6-4 guard, fifth season as NBA / G-League two-way contract) did not appear in an NBA game with the Sacramento Kings last week. He’s appeared briefly in three NBA games so far this season, totaling 7 assists and 4 rebounds in a collective 12 minutes. After going undrafted in 2020, Jones has mostly been a star in the G-League, but in three seasons on two-way contracts with four NBA teams (Houston and Philadelphia in ’20-21, Los Angeles Lakers in ’21-22, and Sacramento in ’23-24) he appeared in 41 NBA games averaging 4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 10.1 minutes while shooting 41.8% from the field, including 35.1% from 3, and 65.4% from the free throw line.

- Stanley Umude (6-6 wing, entering his third season as NBA / G-League two-way contract) appeared briefly in one games for Milwaukee last week, totaling two minutes while not recording any stats in the Bucks’ 119-104 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Umude has played sparingly in six games with the Bucks, totaling 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in a collective 18 minutes. Spanning the previous two seasons in the Detroit Pistons organization, Umude appeared in a combined 25 games with one start as he averaged 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per outing while shooting 43.5% from the field, including 44.4% from 3, and 91.3% from the free throw line.

              * * * * *

Pro Hoop Hogs weeks 3, 4, and 5 Report (article linked here: https://forums.hogville.net/index.php?topic=771051.0)

Pro Hoop Hogs weeks 1 and 2 Report (article linked here:
https://forums.hogville.net/index.php?topic=770720.0)

Pro Hoop Hogs 2024-25 Preseason Report (article linked here: https://forums.hogville.net/index.php?topic=769678.0)