Kevin Porter Jr. Surge Carries Heat Vs Bucks Game to 128-117 Win for Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 128-117, a result decided by Kevin Porter Jr. ’s late scoring surge in the fourth quarter. The timing matters because Porter’s push and a lengthy Heat scoring drought in the final period turned a one-possession game into a multi-point win and finished Milwaukee’s home stand unbeaten.
Heat Vs Bucks: Porter Jr. ’s fourth-quarter explosion
Kevin Porter Jr. led all scorers with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, producing an electric close that swung the outcome. He scored 10 of his 13 fourth-quarter points in the final 5: 35, including an and-one fall-away three that put Milwaukee ahead and ignited a 10-0 run. That late run separated the teams after the Heat had opened the frame by stretching the lead to nine.
Milwaukee’s offense: roll call of contributors
Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis each added 21 points for the Bucks, while Cam Thomas delivered a critical five-point burst late in the second quarter—completing a three-point play and hitting a step-back jumper with one second left—to send Milwaukee to the break up 63-58. Ousmane Dieng sank a three and registered his first home points as a member of the Bucks. After a poor showing the previous game, Kyle Kuzma opened this one by scoring nine of Milwaukee’s first 11 points following a prior outing of just three points.
Miami reaction: Norman Powell and offensive runs
Norman Powell, identified as Miami’s All-Star guard in the coverage, scored 26 points and had several key sequences: six straight in the first quarter that put the Heat briefly in front, and long-range shooting that produced Miami’s largest lead—nine points—early in the fourth. The Heat also mounted a middle-game surge, hitting four straight shots from beyond the arc in the second quarter and later executing a 14-2 run capped by an Andrew Wiggins transition basket that tied the contest.
Turning points: defense held and a 6: 34 Dry Spell
The decisive defensive stretch came late: Milwaukee’s defense held Miami without a field goal for 6 minutes, 34 seconds in the fourth quarter. That scoreless drought for the Heat, combined with Porter Jr. ’s late scoring, created separation and effectively ended Miami’s threat. Bobby Portis had a floater with 46 seconds left in the third that trimmed Miami’s advantage to 93-89 heading to the final period, but the Heat could not score for an extended span in the fourth, which proved decisive.
Context and aftermath: home stand and miscellaneous lines from coverage
Milwaukee got back in the win column after a disappointing loss in their previous game and finished a perfect home stand with a 3-0 record. The recap included several striking lines: one read "Dreadful three-point shooting performance dooms Milwaukee" and another read "The Bucks get another terrific win with the power of friendship!" These contradictory notes appeared alongside factual game detail and statistical lines.
Other concrete game details: the final score was 128-117; Ryan Rollins and Bobby Portis each scored 21; Norman Powell finished with 26; Cam Thomas’s five-point burst produced the 63-58 halftime lead; and Porter’s 10 fourth-quarter points in the final 5: 35 proved critical. What makes this notable is that a single player’s late-scoring sequence—10 points in roughly five minutes—combined with a multi-minute defensive stoppage can reverse a lead and decide a game.
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