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As the Denver Nuggets lost Game 5 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, 112-105, people blamed certain players for the disappointing defeat. After the Nuggets' collapse to the Thunder, Michael Porter Jr. would hold himself accountable and explain why he was to blame.
Porter took accountability for the Game 5 loss and the 92-87 Game 4 defeat, where he scored two and three points in each contest, respectively. Speaking to the media at his locker after the outing, he would go as far as to say that he is not “helping contribute” after making one field goal out of seven attempts from the field, according to The Denver Post.
“We’ve played well enough to win the last two games,” Porter said. “A lot of the reason we lost is because I’m not helping contribute. And that’s tough. That’s really tough. I’m looking at myself individually and how I can try to help the team win, because I haven’t been doing that. I haven’t been contributing in any way right now.”
Leading to the inconsistency on the floor, one could credit the injury he's playing through, which is a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder that he's had since the first round of the playoffs. While he blames himself, his teammates aren't as one such as Aaron Gordon respects Porter.
“He has all my respect,” Gordon said. “I know the AC joint. It’s not fun. Not fun. So I respect him. The dude’s a warrior. Tough as hell, and we love him for it.”
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic on Michael Porter Jr.'s outings
With fans upset that the Nuggets wasted a masterful performance from Nikola Jokic after he scored 44 points in the game, he would also share his appreciation for Porter.
“Nobody wants to miss shots, of course, and he’s probably one of the best shooters in the league,” Jokic said. “When he cannot make shots, he is definitely frustrated with himself. But he’s open. He needs to take it. We want him to take a shot. Keep shooting.”
There would be a moment of possible redemption for Porter as he had the chance to tie the game with a three-point shot with just over a minute to go, but he would miss, capping off the Game 5 lull. Still, Porter has the belief from his teammates, which he acknowledges, but wants to help them win.
“They always have my back, but they want to win as well,” Porter told The Post, saying he felt that he’s letting his teammates down. “And I want to win, too. So if I’m gonna go out there and play, then I need to help contribute. But we’ve got another game, and I’ve got to stay locked in and be ready to try to turn it around and help my team. We can’t lose hope until there’s no hope to be had.”
Porter looks to bounce back in Game 6 to extend the series on Thursday.
