When things started looking bleak for the Nuggets, MPJ rode to the rescue
Apr 20, 2023, 6:31 AM
When the greatest basketball player in the world tells you that your individual effort won the team a playoff game, you know you’ve truly arrived.
“I think Mike was phenomenal in that period,” said Nikola Jokic about Michael Porter Jr. “I told him, ‘I think that’s why we won the game.’ He had an 8-0 run by himself. He brought the energy back and the momentum.”
Before the Nuggets walked away with a 122-113 win over the Timberwolves in Game 2 of their first-round series, they had to survive an epic collapse in the third quarter. Denver had led by as many as 21 points in the first half. That mammoth lead evaporated in a pit of misery, as the Wolves outscored the Nuggets 40-23 in the third to take a two-point lead heading into the fourth.
Enter MPJ.
“I was super frustrated having my minutes cut short,” said Porter Jr., who only had three points entering the final quarter because of limited time due to foul trouble. “It was really hard to get back into a groove. But I just told myself, ‘It doesn’t matter what happens in the first three quarters. It’s time to show up in the fourth. Stats don’t matter it’s just what you can do for your team.’ That’s what I was telling myself.”
As the fourth began, with Jamal Murray and Jokic on the bench, coach Michael Malone called No. 1’s number.
“It was out of a timeout,” Malone said about what turned out to be an and-one three-pointer to start the fourth. “It was a play to get him a look. If we are gonna score the ball with Jamal and Nikola out, Michael has to be a featured attraction. Michael continues to mature, improve and impress. If we are going to win a championship, Michael is gonna be a very big piece of that.”
MPJ turned the game around on a dime. As he rose to take his shot, he was fouled.
Swish!
The ball hit nothing but net as he tumbled on the floor. The crowd exploded knowing the unicorn four-point play would take the Nuggets from trailing by two to leading by two.
Malone recognized the play and the player.
“Michael Porter Jr. was key. Let’s give Michael a lot of love,” said Malone. “He deserves it. He made some big, big plays. I was really impressed with his performance tonight. I felt with Jamal and Nikola on the bench, Michael has got to be our guy. I ran some action for him getting him the ball. And what you love about him is he’s just not settling. If he’s got the shot, he’s shooting it. No hesitation. He’s also not afraid to put the ball on the floor. He had that one pretty finish, you know reverse. It was fun to watch.”
MPJ didn’t put all that much thought into what turned out to be a monumental play.
“Nah, I just shot it,” laughed Porter Jr. about the four-point play. “I think I only shot one or two times before that. I thought I gotta at least try to be aggressive, so I just launched it.”
Being reactive suits this budding superstar well. He has had a rollercoaster of a career dealing with injuries and self-doubt. However, he has all the confidence of his teammates, whether he’s scoring like he did in the fourth or just doing the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.
“On defense, he played great,” said Murray about MPJ. “Even when he wasn’t getting the ball for little bit, he stayed locked in. It turned out to be a great game for him. He made some huge plays down the stretch. Sometimes (when your not getting the ball), the defense, running the court, being a team guy means a lot. He did everything else we could ask for.”
Porter Jr would end up scoring 13 fourth-quarter points. These were buckets that mattered. Even with Murray going for 40, the Nuggets needed a stabilizing force when it meant the most.
“That’s when the game is on the line,” said MPJ about coming through in crunch time. “(It was) especially important because they had closed the gap and it was a close game. I think that was a crucial time and I just tried to stay aggresssive.”
It feels like MPJ’s superior natural talent is coalescing with his emerging maturity. The combination is powerful. In a game where everything could’ve gone dramatically wrong, the inspired and humble 24-year-old stood tall.
“Injuries have made my path a little bit different than I wanted growing up,” reflected Porter Jr. “But I’m here in the playoffs. It’s a dream come true. I’m starting for the No. 1 team in the west. I’m playing a lot of minutes and we’re up two nothing in the playoffs. It’s all you can hope for man.”
As the Nuggets take their 2-0 series lead to Minnesota, all any Denver hoops fan can hope for is more of what MPJ joyfully displayed Wednesday night.
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