Craig Porter Jr. neared a double-double and continued his best stretch of the season on Tuesday to help the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers.
Porter produced 12 points, nine assists, three rebounds and one blocked shot in the 122-119 win on the road in overtime. He went 5-of-9 from the field in 27 minutes off of the bench and finished a game-high plus-21 while on the court.
The undrafted guard out of Wichita State recorded eight points in the first half and had a key layup in the final minute of overtime to give the Cavaliers the lead. The two teams traded leads again before the Cavaliers took over for good.
CRAIG. PORTER. JR. FEARLESS.@craigporter0 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/WIAkLbnuWL
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 22, 2023
Porter, who is signed to a two-way contract, was thrust into a larger role this week with Donovan Mitchell sidelined with a hamstring injury. He has scored in double figures in each of the last three games, including a career-high 21 points on Sunday in a win over Denver.
The early minutes have helped Porter.
“Each game, the confidence just builds and builds,” Porter said after defeating the Nuggets. “The coaches believe in me, and the guys are pushing me to be better, so I’m ready for it. It is what I want to go out there and show.”
Prior to his recent three-game run, Porter played more than 10 minutes in a game just twice in six appearances. He has been mostly out of the rotation during those games, but has proved himself of late and is showing that he can contribute when called upon.
The 23-year-old is still expected to spend time in the G League this season once the team can get Mitchell back in the lineup. He is staying ready to play in the meantime.
“With me being on the two-way, I figured I’d be in the G League working my way into it and eventually get a chance and get some small minutes,” Porter said. “Obviously, with injuries and stuff, you’ve got to be ready. That is one of the things they told me earlier in the year after training camp. I took that to heart, and it has been working for me.”
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