Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. Addresses Criticism from Damian Lillard, NBA Stars
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. discussed the criticism he received from Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard and other NBA players for his comments following Denver's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series.
According to ESPN's Royce Young, Porter said the following about how Lillard and others reacted to his comments:
"I kinda tried to block that out. Everything I said—I stand by what I say. And I didn't mean it in any type of disrespectful way or anything like that. Coaches and my teammates, they all know that. We talked as a team. Everybody was on the same page coming into today. But Dame and those guys, I respect all those guys—especially those superstars in the league talking to a young guy like me. You want to listen. You don't want to have an ego and think you're always right. So I took what those guys said, and I listened to it. Everybody has their opinion, but that was blocked out before today, and everybody was on the same page."
After the Nuggets lost to L.A. in Game 4 on Wednesday, Porter expressed his belief that more players beyond Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray needed to get involved offensively, including himself, since he attempted just two shots in the second half of that game:
"That is up to the playcalling, the coaches and whose hands they want to put the ball in. We kept going to [Jokic] and [Murray] and they are two amazing players, but I just think to beat them we need to get more players involved. We have to move the ball a little bit better. We can't be predictable against that team."
Lillard later took to Twitter and said Porter was wrong for what came across as criticism of his coaching staff and teammates:
Despite the drama, Denver rebounded in Game 5 on Friday, as it came from behind to beat the Clippers 111-105 and cut the series deficit to 3-2.
Porter didn't have a particularly big game Friday, as he scored just seven points to go along with five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, but he hit one of the biggest shots of the night.
With just one minute, 11 seconds left and Denver nursing a two-point lead, Porter nailed a trifecta to extend the lead to five. That turned out to be MPJ's only made field goal of the entire game.
Porter proved his worth once again, though, as his plus-13 rating tied for the team lead after his plus-4 rating led the team in Game 4.
The 22-year-old Porter, who made his NBA debut this season after missing his entire rookie campaign, has been a key player for the Nuggets during their playoff run.
In 12 postseason contests he is third on the team in scoring (11.7 points per game) and second in rebounding (6.9 rebounds per game).
Murray (26.5 PPG, 6.6 APG, 5.1 RPG) and Jokic (25.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 5.3 APG) are clearly the driving forces behind the Nuggets' success, but supporting performers are needed, and Porter has been the best and most consistent third option.
Porter may have ruffled some feathers with his previous comments, including those of Lillard, but if he continues to hit clutch shots like he did Friday, his teammates and coaches likely won't have an issue with him speaking his mind.
