Denver Nuggets swingman Michael Porter Jr. took responsibility for the team’s second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but coach Michael Malone disagreed with his assessment.
“This was a terrible series. I felt like I might’ve had one or two good games out of the seven we played,” lamented Porter via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“It’s just tough because I know if I would have played up to par with how I normally play, we would have won this series. And there’s a lot of things that could have been different as a team, but I know if I had played my part, we would have won the series. And I’ve got to live with that,” he added.
Michael Malone was quick to defend Porter, stating that he himself should share some of the blame as well.
“I have to say that I strongly disagree with Michael Porter Jr. taking the blame for the series loss,” Malone stated via Rachel Strand from ClutchPoints. “I don’t want him to put this on himself. We win and lose as a team. Michael is a crucial part of our team, and we wouldn’t have beaten the LA Lakers without his outstanding and efficient performance.”
Michael Porter Jr.’s performance significantly declined for the Denver Nuggets in the second round
After dominating the Los Angeles Lakers with averages of 22.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 55.3 percent from the field and an impressive 48.8 percent from three-point range, Michael Porter Jr. struggled against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Denver Nuggets forward’s performance declined to averages of 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, with shooting percentages dropping to 37.1 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three-point range. He managed just one double-digit scoring game, posting 21 points in their Game 3 victory.
