Rockets' Kevin Porter Jr. Shares Benefits Of 20-Game Absence: 'It Got Me To Slow Down'
HOUSTON — Kevin Porter Jr. had one thing on his mind Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers — aggression.
His perspective led the Houston Rockets to a 114-110 victory over the Lakers inside the Toyota Center. Porter scored a game-high 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting, nine rebounds and six assists in the win.
"He was great right from the start," coach Stephen Silas said. "He was aggressive. He was getting to the rim. He was making plays for his teammates. The pressure they applied did not bother him at all. He played a solid and complete game."
Porter has always played with a sense of aggression. But his mentality against the Lakers was an indication of his enhanced on-court intellect.
Porter said he knew the absence of Anthony Davis would leave the Lakers vulnerable without a rim protector. And the results led to Porter scoring nine of his 11 made field goals from the inside.
Knowing when and how to attack the Lakers stems from the game slowing down due to his 20-game absence.
While out due to a toe injury, Porter learned the game from a different perspective. His absence allowed him to notice on-court measures he didn't see before sustaining a left toe contusion on Jan. 11.
"It's me taking advantage of what the defense is giving me," Porter said. "I am able to point the weakest defender out there. It's about playing basketball and the knowledge that I have with my reads."
Porter was attacking the Lakers downhill from the opening tip. He scored a dozen of his 27 points in the first half. And by halftime, Porter had 18 points.
But scoring is not the only aspect of his game that benefited from sitting out due to injury. His improved understanding of the game has also enhanced his playmaking as Houston's primary facilitator.
Porter has accumulated 23 assists with five turnovers. His best game as the Rockets' floor general came during Houston's 111-109 win over the Boston Celtics. Porter finished the night with a game-high 13 assists and one turnover.
"I just try to make every pass clean," Porter said. "I felt like my passes could have been better at the start of the year. So when I came back from the 20 games I missed, I've been trying to make every pass as clean as possible.
"That has been the result of me working and learning the game a little bit more. Those 20 games have slowed the game down for me tremendously."
Porter admitted he has not played like himself since returning to the lineup on March 1. Against the Lakers, he wanted to show Silas he was back to 100 percent. But most importantly, his ongoing growth as a point guard.
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