The Denver Nuggets have been trading wins and losses with the NBA top team this season and are still competitive.
Nicola Djokic has been recovering from ankle problems for two weeks, but the Denver Nuggets were unpredictable. The team was 2-3 in the last five games where league MVP candidates were on the list.
The losses included a humiliating display for the Blazers on the Portland Trail and another display for the Chicago Bulls, where Michael Malone spoke out about his team’s performance.
The struggles that Nugget experienced led Michael Porter Jr. to step up at the right time.
Earlier in the season, Michael Porter Jr. discovers that his name has been thrown into trade speculation, tilting Zack Lavine as a make-up class on the rumoured interest of another Nuggets shot creator.
A hamstring injury in early February disrupted his momentum to maintain a solid level of play. Since the All-Star break, he has fired an inefficient 43.1% with a 30.3% mark from the outside.
The game needed to redeem Porter Jr.’s shooting touch arrived on March 26th. He helped the Nuggets’ 127-117 victory over the Visiting Milwaukee Bucks, who had played their first game since the brutal news surrounding Damien Lillard.
He dropped a balanced performance of 23 points, 10 boards, 4 assists and three steels, making it 7-7 from the field, and scored targets over the arc with a 6/8 3-point maker.
“I mean, I spoke before the game when I was here. Obviously he knew he wasn’t filming how we got used to seeing him.
“He didn’t doubt he would find his rhythm because the shooting game was so good,” Malone said of Porter Jr. after the game.
“Michael is a really important part of this team and when he comes to that and you know what you’re trying to get with Nicola Jokic and Jamal Murray, we’re going to be a really hard team to guard.”
Porter Jr. is in a position to complete a relatively healthy regular season after playing 81 games in the past 2023-24. He averages 18.1 points and tallies career-highs on the board (7.0) and dime (2.1).
Bid to regain their throne and win the NBA championship for the first time since 2023, the Nuggets must pass their fingers.
“It was good to have some three pointers tonight and make my shot up and down,” Porter Jr. said. “I have felt my balance is a bit off since my hamstring injury.
“I’m leaning a bit towards one side and it feels like I’m throwing me a bit. But today I focused on being straight and straight, and I made some (of shots) and I made some tonight.
“Hopefully I can keep getting that hamstring (great). … It’s good to see them go to several times tonight.”