Michael Porter Jr.’s status in doubt for Game 3 of Nuggets-Clippers

Michael Porter Jr.’s name is now on the injury report for a shoulder injury after banging his left side against the court late in Game 2. The Denver Nuggets forward is questionable for Thursday’s Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers with a left shoulder sprain, though he shared that it was a joint sprain after Monday’s game.

Porter is the main concern on the Nuggets’ injury report, but Denver is also dealing with an illness that impacted Jamal Murray and a few members of the team’s staff. No notable Nuggets players besides Porter were named on the report.

MPJ participated in practice on Wednesday before the Nuggets flew to California. That’s already a positive sign, given the forward was pretty adamant about how much pain he was in after the game.

“I never felt a pain like this in my shoulder area. I’ve had, like, rolled ankles, so I know what I can play through with that. I’ve never had this. But luckily, it’s on my left side, and then my right side,” Porter, a right-handed sharp-shooter, said just after the Nuggets’ loss.

He apologized to his team for the play he got hurt on, believing that was the reason his team lost. It happened with 100 seconds left and the game tied at 100, the Nuggets got a rare miss from Kawhi Leonard, the rebound was collected by MPJ. He quickly threw the ball up, looking for Aaron Gordon, but instantly regretted the decision. He tried to get the loose ball back by diving on the floor. Porter bashed his left shoulder and stayed on the ground. It led to a Norman Powell three as the Clippers took a lead they would never relinquish.

“I made a stupid play after I got the rebound and tried to make up for it, and somebody landed on my shoulder,” Porter shared. “I never felt anything like this in my shoulder. But it’s good, though. It’s just a joint sprain, so it’s nothing too serious. So hopefully I can do what I can to heal it up.”

Porter tried to check back into the game, but there wasn’t a whistle for him to do so. A few days later, his coach shared his confidence that Porter can get back on the floor.

“I’m very optimistic, because Mike, I don’t think he gets enough credit for how tough he is, what he’s played through over these years,” interim head coach David Adelman said. “His pain threshold is something that people don’t understand, don’t get, that he deals with all year long. Do I know if Mike’s going to play? No, but I do know if Mike can play, he will.”

Porter still finished Game 2 with 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. The Nuggets lost 105-102 with that turnover being one of the many big mistakes down the stretch. Porter was benched at the end of Game 1, after becoming a non-factor for a large stretch of action.

Moving forward, MPJ will be needed for the rest of the series despite the Nuggets winning without him at the end of the first game. He’s been a key Nugget for many years, so any concerns about his health are scary.

“Definitely feel like my team is going to need me, so I got to be ready to go,” Porter said. “I’ve got to figure out this shoulder stuff so I can be ready for Game 3.”

Game 3 tips at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles on Thursday.