Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone loved what he saw out of Michael Porter Jr. in the closing moments of Game 5. In the aftermath of the rookie's controversial comments in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the young forward stepped up big.
The 6-foot-10 forward let his game do the talking on Friday, coming up with two huge plays down the stretch to help Denver complete the impressive 111-105 comeback win. The victory allowed the Nuggets to stay alive and now have a chance to force a do-or-die Game 7 on Sunday.
While Malone wasn't a fan of Porter's criticism a few days back, Malone was more than satisfied with his rookie's Game 5 atonement.
“Michael Porter Jr has confidence in himself and we have confidence in him. That 3, the defense were huge. He’s a rookie, he still has a lot of room for improvement but the progress he made on defense from the Jazz series is outstanding,” the Nuggets tactician described the 22-year-old stud post-game, per Davide Chinellato.
Michael Porter Jr. only pitched in seven points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block in 22 minutes against the Clippers. However, he completed two remarkable plays on both ends of the floor to ensure his team lives to fight another day. His only field goal of the game was perhaps the biggest play of the entire match, as he drained a crucial 3-pointer in the closing minutes to keep the Clippers at bay. He topped that with a brilliant defensive stop in the ensuing possession. He climbed the ladder to deny the dunk attempt of Clippers' 7-foot center Ivica Zubac.
Prior to Game 5, Porter Jr. drew major flak after complaining about the lack of touches he got in Game 4. An apologetic Porter addressed those issues after the game and said he meant no disrespect to his coaches and teammates.
It seems that Denver is cutting their rookie some slack following that game-saving performance on Friday. The Nuggets will look to extend the series one more time come Game 6 on Sunday.
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