CLEVELAND — As Kevin Porter Jr. hit the game-tying, step-back 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, he walked back towards the other end of the floor and put his right hand to cover his mouth. On his hand was a new tattoo — that was done on Sunday — inked in the design of the “Joker” smile. He flashed the tattoo towards the bench, then turned back to the action on the floor.
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The crowd erupted in cheers and only grew louder as he followed with another 26-foot pull-up 3 to give the Cavs their first lead of the game against the Heat. Porter said he couldn’t hear anything for a brief period because of the noise. He stayed level-headed and played the remainder of the fourth quarter and overtime, as coach J.B. Bickerstaff rode the same lineup. His career-high 30 points led the Cavs as they held onto a 125-119 overtime lead to win the game against Miami.
“Earlier in the year, I’m not so certain he would have been in the game at the end right there, or fourth quarter. Who knows. But, just the growth to show that, what he’d play 41 tonight — I think I looked up and saw 41 minutes, 30 points — efficient and closed the game like an NBA closer? I mean, that’s big-time,” Larry Nance Jr. said.
That’s what this year is all about — growth. And while that can be frustrating at moments, and invisible at others, the games where it does show up are critical. They cement the continued work and daily belief in their development plan of individuals and the team.
Porter hasn’t always been in the lineup to close games, in just the handful of late-game situations throughout the season. One of the first came in December in the Cavs loss to Houston. On that night, Porter said he enjoyed being in those situations because of the different energy and wanted to be in more.
Bickerstaff, who worked with Porter and has become a mentor to him, has seen the growth in his confidence levels, which allows his talent to shine through. Once Porter is comfortable, he is finding opportunities to use his offensive mind, either by scoring, passing or playmaking.
This type of breakout performance was on the horizon. Before the All-Star break, Porter had seven consecutive double-figure scoring games, dating to Jan. 28. The Cavs returned from the break with a new head coach, Porter was ejected from the first game and scored two points in 14 minutes the following night.
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And then he found a way to bounce back.
“I think with him, words aren’t always the answer, but you keep putting the ball in his hands,” Bickerstaff said. “And he starts to feel that. We started calling plays for him, and he could feel it from his teammates too, and I think that’s even more encouraging.”
Porter wants to be known as a two-way player. He’s putting in the time on improving his defense so that he can be that type of teammate. Bickerstaff acknowledged Porter’s intentional attention — how he defends players, switches on bigger opponents and helps on defense — and that it’s a bonus for the Cavs. Even with five fouls with time still in the fourth on Monday, Porter held his composure and played solid defense.
This isn’t the first time his teammates have noted Porter’s potential. Tristan Thompson called Porter “a dark horse in the draft,” and former teammate John Henson once described him as “the steal of the draft.”
“I think we’ve really haven’t even tapped into his potential yet. He’s really incredible at what he is capable of, and what he will be capable of in the future,” Kevin Love said.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Bickerstaff gave the Cavs a simple message — the score doesn’t matter, just win the quarter. They did just that, outscoring the Heat 31-12 in the final 12 minutes before the game headed to overtime. And then they outscored them again to win. This is the type of grit Bickerstaff wants to see from his team, which in the end consisted of a new lineup — one that they hadn’t even practiced yet — with Thompson, Love, Nance, Darius Garland and Porter.
Porter had never played that many minutes in an NBA game before. He was tired. His muscles were cramping up. But his teammates kept telling him not to stop, find the energy and push through in the fourth quarter.
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They leaned on the support of the veterans in the closing minutes. For the young rookies to have that type of late-game experience and help keep a lead against a team like the Heat is “invaluable,” Nance said.
The rookies found a natural groove together in the final stretch, feeding off of one another. Porter scored a combined 15 points in the closing 17 minutes, and Garland had three assists and six points.They complement one another and can push each other out on the floor. Since the beginning, Porter and Garland have talked about growing together and relying on their chemistry. They want to “build an empire,” Porter said.
It sets up a strong option in the backcourt and at the guard position for the future. And with the outlook on their continued progression as the point of emphasis, games like Monday’s performance against the Heat build on that validity.
“I think the sky’s the limit for both of them,” Bickerstaff noted.
(Photo of Porter: David Richard / USA Today)
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