Only one member of the 2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks was a finalist for one of the NBA’s individual awards, and that was forward Bobby Portis.

The 29-year-old once again was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year, but for the second straight year he finished third in the voting. Minnesota big man Naz Reid won the honor with 352 points, including 45 first-place votes. Sacramento’s Malik Monk was the runner-up with 43 first-place votes and 342 points.

Portis received 5 first-place votes and had 81 total points. Nine other players received votes.  

“It would mean the world to me to win it,” Portis said Tuesday morning. “I’ve been talking about this award since I was like 22, 23 years old. Sometimes in the league you gotta manifest things. You gotta obviously put the work in to receive it, but I feel like over the years – especially me being a Milwaukee Buck – I feel like I’ve stood on playing my role to the T, bringing energy and effort on a nightly basis and just letting the dominoes fall how they fall. But it would mean the world to win it.’

Last season Portis finished third behind former Boston guard Malcolm Brogdon and former New York guard Immanuel Quickly.

Portis finished ninth in the voting in 2020-21.

Portis has had his eye on the award for several seasons and was once again Mr. Reliable off the bench for head coaches Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers. Portis played in all 82 games for the first time in his career and made just four starts. He shot 50.8% from the floor and 40.7% from behind the three-point line – his best marks since the 2020-21 championship season.

He made 79% of his free throws, his best since 2018-19.

Portis also averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and tied a career-high with 0.8 steals per game.

Once Rivers took over on Jan. 29, however, Portis’ season hit another level. The forward averaged 15.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals while making 43.9% of his three-pointers over the final 36 games of the season. He also recorded 10 of his 17 double-doubles in that stretch.

In terms of strictly off-the-bench raw stats, Portis finished second in scoring behind Monk with 1,052 points and first in rebounds with 573. He finished second in rebounds per game (7.3), third in overall shooting (50.1%) and fourth in points per game (13.5).

“Individually wise, that award would mean a lot just because of the hard work I put in and just to be recognized for an individual award in the league is big,” Portis said.

Ricky Pierce remains the only Bucks player to win the award, capturing it for the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons.

MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee emergency medicine physician will appear on “Jeopardy!” on Wednesday, April 24.

Dr. Amy Hummel completed her undergraduate degree at St. Olaf College and earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

She completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. In 2023, the program announced on social media she was headed to Milwaukee to practice emergency medicine. 

Hummel will complete against returning champion Mark Lashley, a Philadelphia professor who previously won $17,601, and Michigan native Paul Drake.

The episode will air Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Police need help finding a car involved in a hit-and-run on Milwaukee’s north side on Tuesday, April 23 around 3pm.

A white 2022 or newer Honda Civic hit a pedestrian while traveling north on N Teutonia Ave from W Villard Ave.

The vehicle has tinted windows and black rims, and may have damage to the driver’s side hood and windshield.

Anyone with information please call the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360.