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The Denver Nuggets will visit the Los Angeles Clippers for Game 3 of their first-round series on Thursday. Michael Porter Jr. is questionable on the team's injury report due to a left shoulder sprain.
Here's everything we know about Porter Jr.'s injury and playing status vs. the Clippers.
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Michael Porter Jr. injury status vs. Clippers
Porter Jr. injured his shoulder late in the Nuggets' 105-102 Game 2 loss to the Clippers on Monday. The 26-year-old played 33 minutes, posting 15 points and 15 rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three.
While Porter Jr. didn't participate in practice on Wednesday, Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman feels the forward will be available for Thursday's pivotal matchup.
“I’m very optimistic [he’ll play Game 3],” Adelman told the Associated Press. “Mike’s one that I don’t think gets enough credit for how tough he is and what he’s played through over these years. So, his pain threshold is something that people don’t understand and don’t get that he plays with all year long… So, do I know if Mike’s going to play? No. But I do know if Mike can play, he will. So, trust Mike.”
Porter Jr. turned in a lethargic Game 1 performance, posting three points and four rebounds on just 1-of-4 shooting in 26 minutes. Adelman benched him down the stretch of the 112-110 overtime win in favor of Russell Westbrook.
However, the interim head coach was pleased with Porter Jr.'s engagement during a bounce-back Game 2 effort.
“Yeah, the 15 rebounds is a great stat for a guy that was more engaged,” Adelman said. “And that means he’s in the paint. He was hitting the offensive glass. He made an enormous three late. You know, that was a regret late [that] Michael wasn’t on the court when Christian Braun and Nikola Jokic missed three-pointers to tie in the final, chaotic seconds.”
“So, yeah, I just thought he was much more engaged. He was in the paint a lot and a 6-10 guy like that really helps to have somebody on the glass where Nikola can be more aggressive to help with Kawhi [Leonard] and James [Harden] and Norman Powell attacking the basket.”
Porter Jr. was an integral piece to the Nuggets' 2023 title run, averaging 13.4 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 35.1 percent from three on 6.6 attempts per game over 20 playoff appearances. With the Nuggets lacking depth, they will need him to be healthy and perform at a high level if they hope to defeat the Clippers and challenge the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
If Porter Jr. is unable to play on Thursday, Westbrook is likely to receive heavy minutes in Denver's rotation. The former MVP made several winning plays down the stretch of Game 1. He posted 14 points and four rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three during Game 2.
So, regarding whether Michael Porter Jr. is playing tonight vs. the Clippers, a questionable tag indicates he's managing his shoulder injury. However, he'll have a chance to suit up for the matchup at Intuit Dome.
Nuggets injury report
DaRon Holmes II: Out – Injury/Illness – Right Achilles Tendon; Repair
Michael Porter Jr.: Questionable – Injury/Illness – Left Shoulder; Sprain
Clippers injury report
(None)
