Nikola Jokic gives blunt assessment on $179.2M forward’s production getting hindered by injury - “Cannot be an excuse”
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets hardly got any contribution from Michael Porter Jr. in Game 2 on Wednesday against the OKC Thunder. Porter finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and one steal. The starting forward played 25 minutes, the least among the starters in Denver's 149-106 loss.
When told about Porter telling the media about how his injury has affected his movement and play, Jokic responded:
“He’s fighting, of course, and it’s a good thing and we appreciate it, but that cannot be an excuse.”
The sweet-shooting forward, who signed a five-year, $179.2 million contract in 2021, has been playing through a shoulder injury. Porter did not miss any game in the first round series against the LA Clippers, but he is clearly not 100%. Still, Nikola Jokic would not accept the issue as an "excuse" for the Nuggets' blowout loss.
Michael Porter Jr. is averaging 24.5 minutes per game against the OKC Thunder, a drop-off from his 32.4 MPG in the first round. The injury, which reportedly needs weeks to recover from, must have gotten worse after the grueling series versus the Clippers.
The Denver Nuggets pulled off the upset in Game 1 despite Porter hardly playing because of the stellar play of Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook. Neither Gordon nor the former OKC Thunder star could sustain their form in Game 2. Nikola Jokic himself struggled against Oklahoma’s defense and fouled out late in the third quarter.
Nikola Jokic does not want to forget the blowout loss
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were on the receiving end of a historic beatdown from the OKC Thunder on Wednesday. Jokic said after the game that “one team was playing tonight.”
The three-time MVP had this to say when asked if the Nuggets should quickly turn the page for Game 3:
“I think we should just not forget about it. We should learn from it and be much better.”
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman echoed the same opinion when he said his team should not immediately "flush" out the loss.
Regardless of the mindset for the Nuggets, both Nikola Jokic and Adelman were united in saying that they have to be better. With Michael Porter Jr. likely limited throughout the series, Jokic and Co. will have to adjust to prevent another hammering at the hands of the Thunder.
