Denver Nuggets: The best game from every player not named Nikola Jokic
By Dean Hasan
Jan. 2 @ Indiana Pacers: Michael Porter Jr.
Sorting by game score, Porter Jr.’s 18-point, 10-rebound, five-assist, two-steal, one-block performance against the Warriors on Jan. 16 might be considered his best night in the NBA thus far.
Another contender could be his Jan. 20 outing where he had 20 points, 14 boards, and four assists in the Nuggets’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
His best game, however, was on Jan. 2 against the Indiana Pacers, where he showed that when he’s on, he certainly is the pure-shooting, score-from-anywhere star that he was touted to be coming into the draft.
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Porter Jr. did it all in Indianapolis, and he had it going from inside and out. Whether it was with his back to the basket in the post, off the dribble on the perimeter, or spotting up from outside, he was money from everywhere.
He started off well with seven points off the bench in the first half, but truly came alive in the final two quarters. There, he converted on all eight of his field-goal attempts, scoring 18 points in just over 14 minutes of play. With about four minutes left in the third, he scored 10 straight for Denver and later scored six of the team’s first eight points to begin the fourth quarter.
He finished the game with a career-high 25 points while converting on 11-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep. Porter Jr. made his 23 minutes count, and his scoring was a major difference-maker in Denver’s eight-point victory.