I think Bobby Portis cursed himself forever when he declared that he was going to score 40 (while sitting at 38), then failing to do so. Such hubris does not go unpunished by the karmic bodies that govern the mysterious machinations of the universe. I know this from first hand experience. I once said to myself “I’m going to eat this whole extra large pizza plus these dozen wings all at once”, a little background here I was super duper hungry, but anyway I didn’t came sort of close but not really and then I woke up in the middle of the night and chundered in the sink. That was the universe telling me “don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash”.
Portis has learned that lesson now, but it might be too late. He has been punished with three straight mediocre games, who knows how good he was going to play in those before karma intervened, and now he has atoned. Atonement might allow him to score 22, like tonight, on occasion, but he’s never going to score 40 now. Never ever. He’s cursed.