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Denver Nuggets rookie small forward Michael Porter Jr. went off for a career-high 37 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday down in Orlando, Florida.
After playing sparingly all regular season before the campaign was suspended in March, Porter was looking forward to getting extended minutes at Disney World and he certainly took advantage of them on Monday versus the Thunder.
Michael Porter Jr. postgame: "I just told (Malone) that I knew I could bring a lot more. I didn't bring the energy, effort and enthusiasm last game…With Jamal and Gary and Will out I knew I need to step up and take on a bigger role."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 3, 2020
Michael Porter Jr. postgame: "Obviously this is what I've been working for. I never wanted to be just an average player. I'm going to keep working until I get better and better. To see these little steps and to see the work I put in over the break pay off, it feels really good."
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 4, 2020
Michael Malone said he got three texts from Michael Porter Jr. in between the Miami loss and tonight. The rookie was disappointed in his play in Denver's opener and said he'd do better. 37 points and 12 rebounds will do the trick.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 3, 2020
The Thunder had no answers for Porter, who shot 12-of-16 from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 9-of-9 from the free-throw line in 44 minutes of action. The youngster helped the Nuggets defeat the Thunder by a final score of 121-113. Denver outscored OKC 12-4 in the overtime period to win the game.
Porter entered Monday's game averaging 7.5 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Nuggets in 49 games. The 22-year-old missed the entire 2018-19 season recovering from multiple back surgeries. Denver took Porter with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft and he looks like he's well on his way to becoming the steal of the draft. Porter would have been a lottery pick had he not undergone back surgery at Missouri.
Denver's next game is on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs. Let's see if Nuggets head coach Michael Malone trusts Porter to play extended minutes for a second consecutive game and MPJ can have another stellar outing.
