Cleveland Cavaliers unsung hero shines bright in win against Phoenix Suns

This 6-foot-1, 180 pound Cavs bench player crashed the boards and made four-guard lineups look deceiving against the Suns.

Dec 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) attempt to keep a loose ball from going out of bounds while being pressured by Phoenix Suns guard Jordan Goodwin (23) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers continue to build momentum during a crucial time as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 129-113 at Rocket Arena Wednesday night. Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 34 points—he, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley all finished with double-doubles while Darius Garland contributed 19 points and six assists in the contest.

For two straight games, point guard Craig Porter Jr has come off the bench to give the Cavs minutes instead of Lonzo Ball. While his stat line might not jump off the page, Porter Jr is clearly jumping. 

The Wichita State product, whose 1.48 blocks-per-game led the country for players under 6-foot-2 his final collegiate season, tallied 9 rebounds against the Suns, four of which were offensive. 

“CP is almost like a four with the way he plays,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame. “You can put him on bigger wings and you don’t have to worry about losing the rebounding battle with him either.”

Porter Jr, who is listed as 6-1, 180, has averaged 16.6 minutes per game for the Wine and Gold this season. In 10 of the 30 games he’s come off the bench to contribute, he has crashed the boards for 5 or more rebounds. He’s also nearly averaged a steal a game and has .56 blocks per game.

What’s CPJ’s sneakiest skill on the court? 

“I think being deceptive,” Porter Jr told Cavs on SI. “Somebody might think I’m out of position because I might look a little nonchalant then jump this way or that way. Like jogging back to my spot and knowing they’re going to throw it there.”

Kenny Atkinson talked about the efficiency of the four-guard lineups he used to help Cleveland stack its second win in as many games. 

“It’s nice were getting JA and Evan together, but we’ve struggled when there’s only been one big on the court this year so it’s nice to see we’re finding lineups around the one big lineup that are a little better,” he said. “CP being out there as a guard when he plays more like a four is really helpful.” 

Jaylon Tyson had another productive game for the Cavs, putting up 18 points on 8-13 (.615) including 3-6 (.500) shooting from the three-point line, two rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes off the bench.

Sam Merrill recorded 16 points including 4-9 (.444) shooting from the three-point line, one rebound and one assist in 23 minutes off the bench.

The Cavaliers return to Rocket Arena Friday night to play the Denver Nuggets. Tipoff at 7:30 p.m.