In a 2021-22 season for the Houston Rockets that is primarily about evaluating younger players, they’re quickly learning one important characteristic of third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr.: He has a propensity for taking and making big shots at the most crucial times.
In a span of just three weeks, the 21-year-old has had quite an eventful start to 2022. It began, of course, when Porter was suspended for his hot temper during a New Year’s Day loss to Denver.
But since returning from suspension on Jan. 5, the Rockets are 4-4 (.500) — a much improved record for a team that was 10-28 (.263) beforehand. More notably, in each of those four wins, Porter has drained at least one massive 3-pointer when the game hung in the balance late in the fourth quarter. That run started with his buzzer-beater at Washington, and it continued with big shots in San Antonio, Sacramento, and Utah.
