For the second consecutive game, Michael Porter Jr. has scored at least 30 points, puzzling Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone even more on why the rookie wasn't selected into the Rising Stars game.
In the Nuggets' 132-126 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Porter Jr. scored 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from deep. This marks his second consecutive 30-point game following his 37-point output on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In a post-game interview, Malone shared that he was actually thinking about Porter Jr.'s Rising Stars snub this season.
“The funny thing is, I thought about this today thinking about Michael Porter,” Malone said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Michael Porter was not selected to play in the Rising Stars game this year.
“Are you kidding me?” Malone asked before walking away.
To recall, Porter Jr. was one of the top prospects entering the 2018 NBA Draft. Early mock drafts even ranked him as the possible number one overall pick.
However, injury concerns — which rooted all the way back to his high school days — caused his draft stock to plummet. He was eventually taken as the 14th overall by the Nuggets. But the team opted to sit him out for one year, making the 2019-20 season his official first-year campaign.
While he started out slow, it seems that Porter Jr. is finally catching his stride. Malone has trusted Porter Jr. by giving him more minutes. And Porter Jr. has delivered thus far. So for NBA fans, don't be surprised if Porter Jr. drops another 30-point night.
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