The Denver Nuggets were unable to fend off a formidable challenge from a visiting Indiana Pacers side on Sunday night, with the Pacers emerging victorious in the Pepsi Center, 115-107. There was an air of frustration within the Denver camp following the disappointing home loss, and it was no different for Nuggets head coach Mike Malone. When asked about the inconsistent playing time of promising rookie Michael Porter Jr., the coach could not help but blow off a bit of steam.

Malone was obviously fed up about all the questions pertaining to Porter, who was once again a limited participant for the Nuggets on Sunday. The 6-foot-10 power forward logged only 23 minutes in this one, scoring 10 points (3-of-9 from the field, 4-of-4 from the line), along with eight rebounds, and two steals.

Porter had played 29 and 28 minutes in his previous two games, so the general expectation was that he was once again going to come close to 30 minutes in this one. This is especially considering how the former 14th overall pick torched the Golden State Warriors on Thursday with an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, with three triples, five assists, two steals, and a block.

Porter has been trending up of late, but given how coach Malone seems overly hesitant to unleash the highly-touted youngster, it would not be surprising if Porter finds himself playing a limited role for the squad once again. Porter may continue to find it difficult to fully break through his coach's rotation this season, but there is very little doubt that the potential is there for the former Missouri standout.