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With a dominant showing, the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Denver Nuggets 149-106 in Game 2. The series may be tied 1-1, but momentum is clearly shifting toward the West’s top seed. Facing an OKC team loaded with depth and energy, Nikola Jokic is trying to hold the line with barely a full squad—especially with Michael Porter Jr. banged up and offering little support.
“Since I’ve been a part of this team, we’ve done a great job of responding when something like this happens to us.” Porter Jr. remarked in his post-game interview.
Can Michael Porter Jr. rely on his body when the Nuggets need him most? That’s the $35 million dilemma in a playoff battle that’s grown increasingly physical. With Denver backed into a corner, Porter’s injury issues are becoming a clear liability for a team already stretched thin.
Porter Jr. played 25 minutes in Game 2, making 2 of 8 three-pointers, finishing with 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Michael Porter Jr.'s troubling post-season with the Nuggets
Denver began the season optimistic that Michael Porter Jr. was finally ready to elevate his game. The expectation was for him to develop into a dependable offensive threat alongside Nikola Jokic—someone who could create for others, score with regularity, and take on a larger role within the team’s system.
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That belief was clearly shared by Denver’s front office when they handed Michael Porter Jr. a five-year, $179 million rookie-scale max extension in 2021. The deal pays him more than $35 million this season, over $38 million next year, and tops $40 million in 2026-27—the kind of contract reserved for players expected to deliver star-level impact.
But to this point, Porter Jr. hasn’t quite delivered on that investment. The 2025 playoffs have mirrored much of Porter Jr.’s career—flashes of promise clouded by inconsistency and unmet expectations. Yes, the shoulder injury he sustained late in Game 2 against the Clippers deserves mention, but even before that, his performances lacked the reliability Denver needs from a supposed second option.
Porter’s left shoulder has been a problem since early in the first-round series against the Clippers, when he hit the floor hard diving for a loose ball. But that’s not even the full story. After the brace he relies on broke, Porter openly admitted he’s still struggling with chronic drop foot—a lingering effect of the three back surgeries that might’ve ended another player’s career entirely.
Can Porter Jr. show up against the Thunder?
There’s no doubting Porter’s toughness, but for the second straight season, he’s disappearing in the playoffs. Last year, he put up only 10.7 points per game as Minnesota ended the defending champs’ season. This year, through nine playoff games, his once-accurate jump shot is only connecting at a 39 percent rate, and his scoring has dropped to 9.6 points per game, nearly half of his regular-season average of 18.2.
Porter deserves credit for playing through the injury, but his poor defense, lack of energy, and inconsistency remain issues. Despite hitting some shots, he’s had disappointing performances, especially in Games 1 and 2 against the Thunder.
