Nuggets Rumors

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. won’t face a suspension for leaving the bench area during an altercation that took place in Game 4 of the team’s series vs. the Clippers, a league spokesperson confirmed to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link) and Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required).

As we outlined on Saturday night, Porter left the bench and came onto the court when Nuggets and Clippers players began to push and shove one another just before halftime after James Harden took exception to a reach-in foul committed by Christian Braun near the half-court line (Twitter video link via Joey Linn of SI).

Porter apologized after the game and explained that he didn’t know about the NBA’s rule that prohibits players who aren’t in the game from leaving the “immediate vicinity” of the bench area during an on-court altercation.

As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets, the rule states that a player can be subject to a one-game suspension and a fine of up to $50K, but the league takes into account “the distance the player traveled from his team’s bench, and the extent to which he entered the immediate proximity of the altercation.” Porter didn’t go far before he was pulled back by an assistant coach and didn’t come close to entering the fray.

Porter was held out of Denver’s closing lineup in Game 1 of the first-round series, injured his shoulder in Game 2, and was a -25 in 35 minutes during a Game 3 blowout loss. However, the veteran forward played an important role in the Nuggets’ Game 4 win, which evened the series at 2-2, scoring 17 points and making four three-pointers in 42 minutes.

Porter is still listed on the injury report due to his left shoulder sprain, but is considered probable to play on Tuesday. Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, who missed Saturday’s contest with left foot inflammation, is questionable.

The Nuggets won’t have Russell Westbrook available as they try to even their series with the Clippers later today, the team announced (via Twitter).

Westbrook has been dealing with inflammation in his left foot that limited him to nine minutes in the Game 3 loss on Thursday. He contributed just three points, one rebound and one assist and didn’t play in the second half as Denver trailed badly on the way to a 34-point defeat.

The teams split a pair of close contests to begin the series, and Westbrook played a large role in making the games competitive. He had 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes in the opener and made several huge defensive plays down the stretch as the Nuggets won in overtime. He followed that with 14 points, four rebounds and one assist while playing 23 minutes in Game 2.

Game 5 isn’t until Tuesday night in Denver, so Westbrook will have a couple of days to rest as he tries to get back on the court.

Injuries are taking a toll on the Nuggets, but the team confirmed that Michael Porter Jr. will be available for Game 4. Porter hurt his left shoulder late in Game 2 when Kris Dunn landed on him while they were chasing a loose ball. Porter was able to play 35 minutes on Thursday, but he shot 2-of-9 from the field and was limited to seven points.

The Nuggets got off to a solid start Thursday night during Game 3 in Los Angeles, building an early seven-point lead. However, the Clippers quickly swung the tide of momentum and built a lead they would never relinquish during a 23-2 run that spanned the end of the first quarter and start of the second, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.

Denver ultimately lost by a final score of 117-83, a humbling defeat for the 2023 NBA champions. The Nuggets now find themselves facing a 2-1 hole heading into Saturday’s Game 4.

“We got embarrassed today. It happens in the playoffs,” interim head coach David Adelman said. “(We’ve) been a part of it before, been a part of the other side of it. The bottom line is, it’s one game, and (if) we come back (in) Game 4, we do the right things, (we) give ourselves a chance.”

While forward Michael Porter Jr. was able to play 35 minutes Thursday, he was clearly struggling with the left shoulder injury he sustained late in Game 2, scoring just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. After the game, 26-year-old said his shoulder issue is normally a four-to-five week injury and he felt very limited, estimating that his left shoulder was around 20-30 percent healthy, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who reports that Porter suffered a Grade 2 sprain.

Porter said he played Thursday because he was told the injury wouldn’t get worse unless he sprained it again (Twitter link via Shelburne), but he was noncommittal about his chances of suiting up Saturday.

“If I can go out there and feel more confident that I can help the team, then I’m going to play,” Porter said, per Benedetto. “If it’s still in a place like it is today, and I don’t feel like I can help the team at all, there’s no point in trying to go out there.”

To make matters worse for a team that’s already thin on the depth chart, backup guard Russell Westbrook didn’t play in the second half after dealing with left foot inflammation during his eight first-half minutes.

According to Shelburne, Westbrook turned his left foot during pregame warmups and attempted to play through the injury before being pulled in the second quarter. Adelman didn’t have an update on the former MVP’s status after the game, Benedetto adds.