After going on a 4-game win streak, the Denver Nuggets have found themselves in the soup. Despite Nikola Jokic’s incredible performances, Michael Porter Jr. and co. suffered losses against the Bulls and the Spurs.
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Tonight, hosting the Brooklyn Nets at the Ball Arena, the Colorado-based franchise was in for a hard-fought battle. The action-packed thriller witnessed a total of 6 lead changes, and 6 ties, and finally ended 120-122 in the Nets’ favour.
The Joker recorded yet another statsheet-stuffing performance. Playing 39 minutes, the Serbian superstar recorded 35 points, 20 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
Nikola Jokic today:
35 Points
20 Rebounds
11 Assists
2 Blocks
2 Steals
61% FG pic.twitter.com/BH3ksUWUYW— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 12, 2023
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Meanwhile, MPJ, who had a phenomenal first-half outing, was restricted towards the end of the game… by his own coach.
“How did I struggle?”: Michael Porter Jr. on Mike Malone’s allegations
The 6-foot-10 forward had put up 19 points in the first 2 periods of the game on an impressive 77.8/75/100 shooting split. One would naturally assume that the 24-year-old would be in red-hot form in the 2nd half as well.
However, after letting Porter Jr. play 7:21 minutes in the third quarter, Malone subbed him out. The Nuggets’ head coach wouldn’t put him back until there were 23 seconds left for the game to end.
A frustrated Porter addressed the same in the postgame interview:
“(He) sat me the whole fourth and put me in with 20 seconds left, I think,” Porter said. “So, I mean it’s impossible to catch a rhythm then.”
Speaking about MPJ’s situation, Malone stated that the youngster and the entire unit in the 3rd quarter struggled. Justifying his decision, the 51-year-old said:
“It wasn’t just Michael Porter Jr. Everybody struggled when you get outscored 37-18. The group that was in there in the fourth played well. I rolled with that group.”
As a response, the sharpshooter said:
“How did I struggle? I shot three times, and I didn’t play. I didn’t play in the fourth quarter, so I wouldn’t say I struggled. I shot three shots. I made two of them. I missed one shot, so I wouldn’t say I struggled. I would just say I didn’t play.”
Michael actually scored 4 points on merely 3 shot attempts. In his defense, that isn’t exactly “struggling”.
MPJ’s stats from the 2022-2023 season
The Denver Nuggets hold a 46-22 record that places them #1 in the Western Conference. Yes, Jokic has been phenomenal this year. However, Michael Porter Jr. has been flourishing in his role.
After missing practically the entire 2021-22 season, the 4th-year player has been averaging 17.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game this season.
Of course, in the postseason, MPJ will have to elevate his game in order to help the Nuggets make a successful playoff run.
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