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Michael Porter Jr. Makes Blunt Statement Amid Struggles for Nuggets in NBA Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Svyato Rovenchuk | Last updated May 14, 2025 12:04 PM ET

Game 5 was a very winnable outing for the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. That was not the result that ultimately wound up playing out.

The Nuggets lost a disappointing 112-105 ball game to the Oklahoma City Thunder. A tight contest slipped away from them in the clutch against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.

One pivotal aspect that kept the Nuggets from the win column was the lackluster play of Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets forward finished the game with a lousy two points, shooting 1-of-7 from the field.

The shortcomings of Porter Jr. during this postseason was something the Nuggets’ max player was ready to take accountability for.

Porter Jr. opens up on playoff struggles

The 2025 NBA Playoffs have not been kind of the Nuggets starter. Porter Jr. is averaging a subpar 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game for the Nuggets, while shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3-point land.

The 26-year-old told Bennett Durando after the Game 5 loss that he understands how much of the Nuggets’ series deficit falls on his shoulders.

“We’ve played well enough to win the last two games. 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.”

-Michael Porter Jr.

The weak efforts from Porter Jr. have forced incredible performances like Tuesday night’s 44-point, 15-rebound game from Nikola Jokic to go to waste.

The Nuggets will now head back to Ball Arena for Game 6 looking to save their season. Porter Jr. breaking out of his shooting slump would go a long way.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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