orter Jr. didn't have an opening statement so much as a sustained one. He moved the curve by inches in the first quarter — a clean look here, a contested stop there — and let the game come to him.
The second quarter is where it broke open — a single possession (+7.4). From that possession on, the curve never had to be rebuilt the same way twice.
He gave a little back late, but the night still finished at +8.1 — built up early enough to absorb the fade.
Key moments