Michael Porter Jr. had a solid start for the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of their second-round series with the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to sustain it as he struggled in the second half of the contest.

Apparently, however, Porter sustained an injury that bothered him. Nuggets head coach Michal Malone admitted as much, citing that the young forward tweaked his back during the first half, per Katy Winge of Altitude TV.

According to Malone, MPJ came out of the locker room at the half with a wrap around his core and back. He then pointed out that the 22-year-old “didn't look right” in the final 24 minutes, which was also the reason why he played less to close the match.

Michael Porter Jr. made 12 points in the first half against the Suns, and he certainly looked poised for another 20-plus point night. However, as Malone noted, he was clearly not at his best in the latter stages.

The good news for Denver now is that Porter's injury doesn't appear to be serious. The Nuggets are set to get him treatment for the issue, though they will surely be cautious given the player's history with back problems.

Denver needs Porter if they want any chance of beating Phoenix. As seen in Game 1, with MPJ bothered by his injury, the Suns dominated and the Nuggets had no response offensively. He has proven himself as a legitimate second option behind All-Star center Nikola Jokic in the absence of Jamal Murray, and it's simply difficult for the team to contend without him.