Denver Nuggets swingman Michael Porter Jr. came through for his team with a career-high performance against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night. His stat line put him on in an elite club composed of MVP contenders in Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid as the only players to record such numbers this season, per Mike Singer.

The Nuggets needed their other players to step up as they continue to miss the production of point guard Jamal Murray who suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury over the past week. Key players such as Monte Morris and Will Barton are also out as they both suffered right hamstring strain injuries.

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Fortunately for the Nuggets, Porter did just that as he led his team over a depleted Rockets squad on Saturday night. He notched a career-best tally of 39 points on 8/12 shooting from beyond the arc to go with six rebounds and two assists through 35 minutes played. Nikola Jokic also produced a near triple-double performance with 24 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists for the Nuggets.

The strong production of the two players was enough for the Nuggets to cruise to a 129-116 victory over their struggling opponents. With the win, Denver continues to cement their spot in the upper half of the Western Conference standings with a 39-21 record to nab the fourth seed.

With Murray already ruled out for the rest of their campaign, Michael Porter Jr. will definitely be counted on to have a bigger role to fill moving forward. Ultimately, the level of his performance in their coming games will make an impact on their bid for a long postseason run in the upcoming playoffs.