Nuggets get good news on KCP but MPJ still on injury report

It looked scary in the moment, but it appears Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be just fine for the Denver Nuggets. He’s listed as questionable for their Friday night game, hosting the Jazz.

Both he and Michael Malone believed after Wednesday night’s 110-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that he’d be just fine moving forward. KCP went down in a bunch of pain in the second half of the game after a botched layup and did not return. He has already been a solid contributor, splashing from three and providing solid defense since coming over in a trade from Washington this summer.

Meanwhile, Michael Porter Jr. still finds himself on the injury report for the Nuggets. Malone confirmed Wednesday night that MPJ did suffer a back spasm in Portland earlier this week. Yet he is being listed as lumbar spine management; perhaps that’s what monitoring back spasms means? Either way, it’s still not a great sign for oft-injured Porter, who is a walking bucket when healthy. Back issues have maligned his young career. However, Malone said after the Lakers win that he expects Porter to play Friday night, and he could’ve gone if the Nuggets had needed him to on Wednesday.

The whole situation with MPJ is a bit odd, but ultimately won’t mean anything if he’s healthy and playing well come crunch time.

#Nuggets injury report: KCP is questionable (left ankle sprain). MPJ is still questionable (lumbar spine management) and Davon Reed is questionable (personal reasons).

— Mike Singer (@msinger) October 27, 2022

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