Going into the All-Star Break, the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets looked sluggish and banged up. With the break now over, the Nuggets look refreshed and ready to carry their success into the playoffs. In their return from the break, the Nuggets have won both of their matchups against the Washington Wizards and Portland Trail Blazers in convincing fashion thanks to some great outings from Michael Porter Jr.
While Nikola Jokic posted yet another triple-double, Porter might have had the most impressive performance in Denver's 127-112 win over the Trail Blazers on Friday night, as he dropped 34 points while also hauling in 12 rebounds and dishing out an assist. This was the second night in a row where Porter posted a double-double, as he scored 22 points and brought in 11 rebounds against the Wizards on Thursday night.
Tonight was the fourth time Nikola Jokic & Michael Porter Jr. went for 25+ points and 10+ rebounds on 60% or better shooting in the same game.
That is tied for the most games by any duo since the 1976 merger – Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon & Ralph Sampson also had 4 such games. pic.twitter.com/pa18yHmxTR
— Jake Coyne (@TheStatSquatch) February 24, 2024
Porter has looked noticeably comfortable shooting these past few games. The All-Star Break came at a great time, and it meant a lot for his rest and recovery.
“Yeah I needed it,” Michael Porter Jr. said via AltitudeTV. “Tried to play as many games as I could early on in the season. We got this stretch of games before the playoffs, get a rhythm, and that's my goal right now.”
When in his groove, Porter can be one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. This was something the Trail Blazers didn't take into account, and it burned them all night long.
“Michael is such a big target, and (defenders) play on the high side, so they’re trying to make him a 2-point scorer,” Nuggets Head Coach Michael Malone said via Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. “And he’s shown that he can do that just as efficiently (as scoring from three). This was a night when Michael played at a high level throughout the course of the game.”
Denver is at their best when Porter is playing at this high level, and it's encouraging to see him return from the All-Star break in such convincing fashion. The talented sharpshooter will have a chance to keep his hot streak up when the Nuggets take on the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.
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