Bobby Portis Mocks Knicks' Jalen Brunson for Flopping

Jalen Brunson is one of the best guards in the NBA, but even the best players have things opponents pick on. For Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, it's how Brunson falls off screens, and Portis apparently knows this well enough to mimic it mid-game.

In a clip shared by Run It Back on X, Portis appeared on the show alongside Michelle Beadle, DeMarcus Cousins, Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams.

The host brought up a recent Knicks-Bucks matchup, noting it looked like Brunson "wanted a little smoke until he realized he was dealing with you." Portis was clearly having fun with it.

"I call him Jughead. That's my nickname for him. I play USA ball with him. What's so funny is he ran up to me on this play because the play before that, I had DHO to hand it off to one of our guards and I had screened him. I know every time you screen him, he's gonna do this little flop and stuff and fall down, and right when he did that, I kind of did like an emulation. I kind of like did it and fell down to right in front of him," Portis said.

Jalen Brunson did not want smoke with Bobby Portis 😂💯

"I call him 'Jughead.' ... Every time you screen him, he does his flopping stuff...I did an emulation of it. ... Jughead be hooping though."@BPortistime | @MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/ujGu9WQPgL
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 9, 2026

Brunson and Portis were teammates on the 2023 U.S. national team at the FIBA World Cup, so the nickname and the ribbing are more about familiarity than anything else. Brunson ran up to Portis after the imitation, and what happened next was just as entertaining.

"And then he ran up to me was like, he says something, it was super funny in the moment though," Portis said. "Jughead be hooping though, man. He always torches us every time we see him."

Jalen Brunson's Numbers Do the Talking for the Knicks

Mar 9, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Even while calling him out, Portis made sure to give Brunson his credit. He can clown the Knicks guard for the screen flops all he wants, but he knows exactly how good Brunson is every time they share a court.

The two faced off most recently on Feb. 27, when the New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-98 in Milwaukee. Brunson put up 27 that night.

He has been one of the most consistent stars in the East this season, averaging around 26 points and 6.5 assists per game.

The flopping criticism is nothing new for Brunson. Opponents have called out the way he sells contact off screens for years, and it has not slowed him down one bit. With a massive contract decision looming in 2028, New York will have a big call to make on the guy Portis still calls Jughead.

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