The Milwaukee Bucks may have dropped a game 127-113 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, but despite the loss, there was an encouraging sign of growth from one Bucks player. 

Taurean Prince has been a mainstay of Milwaukee for four of the last five seasons, the one exception being when he joined the Lakers for the 2023-24 season, before re-signing with the Bucks the very next season. 

He's been a crucial member of the Bucks in his time there, especially as a well-rounded spark off the bench. But, injuries have kept him off the court for a large piece of this season, particularly recovery from a surgery he underwent in November to address a herniated disc in his neck. 

Prince returned to the floor on March 10, something that even head coach Doc Rivers didn't think was going to be possible. And in Sunday's loss to the Clippers, Prince made his biggest leap in on-court production since his return.

He played a whopping 38 minutes on Sunday and scored 18 points on 7-12 shooting off the bench. he added six rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block to showcase the across-the-court value that has made him such a crucial piece of the roster.

Missing the majority of the season like Prince would be detrimental to any player's conditioning, but his heavy usage on Sunday is exemplary of the kind of strides he's made in getting back in playing form.

After the game, Prince was pleased with his conditioning and explained that he didn't even realize how much he'd been playing. 

"It feels good. My wind is better than it was probably ever," Prince said (via Bucks). Changed a lot of habits. My nutrition, the things that I do. So, today I was really able to talk all game. All the minutes I was in there. It didn't feel like I really played 37 until they told me. [I] was surprised myself."

Prince added that his injury and lengthy recovery time inspired him to improve his habits to ensure that he would be able to stay healthy longer and he used the time to assess his game and how he could improve himself.

In games like these at the end of the season for a team like the Bucks that already know the playoffs aren't an option, focusing on personal and team improvement as an investment into the next season is the best course of action.

Prince will continue to be a big part of the Bucks roster should he pick up his $3.8 million player option next season and while Sunday's game didn't end in Milwaukee's favor, it was a preview of what Prince can still be capable of.