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Adrian Griffin speaks of Bobby Portis' strong play of late: "He's a grinder"

Coach Griffin has nothing but praise for the veteran forward.

Jonas Panerio

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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Bobby Portis is a player who isn't afraid to rock the boat for the team's betterment. A fiery and physical forward who's loyal to the Milwaukee Bucks' championship cause, Portis has come out of that loss to the Indiana Pacers in the In-Season Tournament with renewed vigor. Bucks coach Adrian Griffin noticed Bobby's improved performances and praised the veteran.

Hard worker

It can be recalled that Portis reportedly called Griffin out in the locker room after that loss to the Pacers, expressing the need for the Bucks to be more organized on both ends. Since then, Portis has been on a tear, averaging 20.2 points on 63 percent shooting and 7.4 rebounds in the last five games.

On Tuesday, Portis tallied 23 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes of action against the Spurs.

"You know, Bobby's just...man, he's a grinder. He works extremely hard. I think his work on the (offensive) boards over the last couple of games has really won games for us where he's given us second-chance opportunities," Griffin said.

"Obviously, he can score the ball. But he's willing to do the hard work, too. He's playing defense. He's sprinting back. He's aggressive in his pick-and-roll coverages. He's defensive, rebounding the ball. And he's on the o-boards again. He's doing it all."

Ignites the team with his hustle

Portis is an infectious presence on the floor for the Bucks, hustling on both ends of the court to secure loose balls and providing a spark off the bench with his explosive scoring. His energy has been key for Milwaukee, and it's something that isn't lost on Griffin.

"I'm trying to find ways to reward him sometimes coming out of ATOs (after timeouts) because we work him so hard. But that's on Bobby, man. He just ignites our team with his hustle," Griffin added.

"Having Bobby come off the bench, leading that second unit has just been invaluable for us."

Adrian Griffin calls Bobby Portis Jr. the team’s “heart and soul”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO