In his first game back from suspension and with the eyes of the NBA squarely on him, Kevin Porter Jr. hit the winning 3-pointer in the final second as Houston won at Washington on Wednesday night.
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for the young Rockets (11-28), and given the circumstances, it had to feel as good as any in quite some time. Porter guaranteed the win in comments Tuesday to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, and the next day, he delivered.
The third-year guard known as “KPJ” shot only 3-of-13 on the night, but one of the three makes was by far the biggest of any player on the court. It initially appeared to be at the buzzer, though officials put 0.4 seconds back on the clock — which only temporarily delayed Houston’s much-deserved celebration. Porter also registered 7 rebounds and a team-high 8 rebounds and 4 steals during his 35 minutes played.
At least one national media member — Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated — had called for Porter to be released by the Rockets after the recent suspension. But at least for now, Houston gets the last laugh.
Here’s a look at how it all unfolded in real-time.
