Michael Porter Jr. Says He's 'A Lot of the Reason' Nuggets Lost Games 4, 5 vs. Thunder

After dropping back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Denver Nuggets are on the brink of elimination with a 3-2 series deficit.

Following Tuesday's loss in Game 5, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post that he feels he's to blame for the team's last two losses.

"We’ve played well enough to win the last two games," Porter said after Tuesday's loss. "A lot of the reason we lost is because I’m not helping contribute. And that’s tough. That’s really tough. I’m looking at myself individually and how I can try to help the team win, because I haven’t been doing that. I haven’t been contributing in any way right now."

The Nuggets led by as many as 12 points in the second half of Game 5 before suffering a 112-105 loss to the Thunder. The blown lead was especially disappointing after Denver dropped Game 4 on its home floor, 92-87. However, Porter's play has been even more glaring.

The 26-year-old scored a combined five points in Games 4 and 5, shooting 1-of-7 from the field and 0-of-5 from three-point range in both contests. While he contributed nine rebounds in Game 4, his production was modest in Game 5 with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Despite Porter's shooting woes, the Nuggets showed confidence in him in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's matchup by drawing up a play for him out of a timeout while they trailed by three. Unfortunately, Porter's game-tying triple was off the mark with just over a minute left in the game.

After the Thunder went up by six on a three-pointer by star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Porter airballed another three-point attempt on the ensuing possession, effectively ending Denver's chance for a comeback.

"Nobody wants to miss shots, of course, and he’s probably one of the best shooters in the league," Nikola Jokic, who scored 44 points in the loss, said of Porter. "When he cannot make shots, he is definitely frustrated with himself. But he’s open. He needs to take it. We want him to take a shot. Keep shooting."

Porter is hoping to return to his usual form that helped him drop 21 points in Denver's Game 3 win. He acknowledged that he will need to be at his best in Thursday's Game 6 for the Nuggets to keep their season alive.

"They always have my back, but they want to win as well," Porter said. "And I want to win, too. So if I’m gonna go out there and play, then I need to help contribute. But we’ve got another game, and I’ve got to stay locked in and be ready to try to turn it around and help my team. We can’t lose hope until there’s no hope to be had."