Second-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. scored 25 points and dished out four assists in his debut with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, known best as the NBA G League affiliate organization of the Houston Rockets. The 6-foot-4 lefty guard hit 4-of-9 from 3-point range (44.4%).
Rio Grande Valley lost Wednesday’s game, 132-105 (box score), to Raptors 905, which is the affiliate club of the Toronto Raptors. Rookie guard Brodric Thomas — who is on a two-way contract with the Rockets — added 15 points and 7 rebounds for the Vipers, while prospect big man Ray Spalding had 21 points and 12 rebounds.
For the Rockets, Porter is the highest-profile player assigned to the Vipers. After being selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft, Porter averaged 10.0 points in 23.2 minutes per game during his rookie season with the Cavaliers. However, his 2020-21 activities in Cleveland were extremely limited due to numerous personal issues.
Since trading for Porter in January, Houston head coach Stephen Silas has stressed the importance of a slow reintegration plan, and time at the G League “bubble” in Florida is part of that process. If it goes well, it’s likely for Porter to receive minutes in Houston later this season.
Kevin Porter Jr.'s G League debut:
25 points‼️
3 rebounds
4 assists
1 steal
1 block9/19 FG
4/9 3FG‼️
2/3 FT
32 minutes..and some very nice step-backs.pic.twitter.com/Lyyf6FIfBu
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) February 11, 2021
