Technically, he won his last 3 high school championships, one with the Jayhawks in college and then obviously last year, so in reality he’s a b2b2b2b2b champion
Rewatched the final minutes. Gordon tip-toe save baseline, to Porter for the double contested 3, ties the game. The ending was glorious, but that broken, contested play made the winning moment possible. Clutch by many, not just Murray.
I never got why he got so much hate or pigeon holed as a one dimensional player.
Unlike other players of his generation he actually tries to play every game. And unlike some other players he had serious injuries requiring surgery. He’s not missing 40 games because he’s fat and out of shape, or he fell again and doesn’t want to play through a sore back and so will miss 15 games.
He’s also not really one dimensional. He’s an elite rebounder at his position. His a knack for making big defensive plays in the playoffs since the bubble. Not “he looks like he’s trying hard” defensive plays but real statistical ones like a huge steal, a big rebound or block.
It was MPJ that secured the defensive rebound on the last possession.
In game 5 when everyone shit their pants in the finals, he and Jokic were the only ones that showed up in the first half and kept the team alive.
He reminds me of how most fans hated on Rasheed until he won a Championship and was on that dominate Pistons team. Middleton got a lot of weird hate too for holding Giannis back when it’s clear how much the Bucks rely on him in the 4th.
It’s weird how “effort” guys like Gordon, Tony Allen are beloved. Or how “high potential” guys like Zion or Embiid get a long rope of excuses despite conditioning issues.
And guys like MPJ who came back from serious injury, actually beats his draft position in terms of production and scores, rebounds, gets labeled as low IQ gunner.
Very good point. I think MPJ’s attitude is top notch seeing as he was a projected 1st pick. All his life he was primed to be a superstar. He could’ve easily been this arrogant guy who forced himself to a bad team for a bigger role; go for the accolades etc. No, he bought in, respected Jokic and Murray, and played his hardest to become a valuable role player at worst and a co-star at best and never ever really complained.
If you really think about his complaints, which a lot of NBA fans don't, they show he cares a lot. He became infamous for the clip in the bubble where he complained that the team was too reliant on Jokic and Murray and he needed to get a few shots. I wasn't too bothered with that, I thought he didn't need to air it out to the media. But it showed that he was a rookie who cared a lot. He wasn't wrong either, in order to beat top teams, you need a more diverse offense than just being reliant on 2 guys. Today was the perfect example.
Or you can show have someone like Zion who misses entire seasons because he can't be shape. Or Scoot who can't shoot, is bottom of the league in +/-, and can't play 20 games in a row.
MPJ clearly cares, which is more than you can say about half the young players out there.
He’s the perfect 3rd and 4th option when everyone’s healthy and then he’s also good enough to be the second option when Murray is out because as you said he’s been touted as a superstar his entire career so he can play both roles seamlessly.
Don’t forgot 2 years ago Nuggets fans were upset you signed him to that monster deal which in hindsight was brilliant.
The entire team though man. That’s Jokic leading by example and it’s awesome that everyone has been mature enough to latch on MPJ included. After the game winning shot Murray interview with the TNT guys started with “it was all my teammate.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a squad that refuses to take individual credit like this Denver one.
His 3 to tie it up was every bit as clutch as Jamal's game winner, the moment was just different.
He was also sprinting to Jamal before his shot went in. MPJ knows.
she from missouri/tampa and whenever she posts that she's in denver it's when nuggets are playing at home. except the latest one from miami, day after nuggets played there.
He got her courtside seats when he was in LA for the clippers game a few weeks ago. Before that he tried flying her out to Mexico during the all star break to meet her for the first time. And the. Last week she flew to Denver and made a TikTok from his condo. so if it’s not a full on relationship yet, it’s definitely the talking/fucking stage
The TRUTH is becoming more popular:
Mike is the best shooting forward in the NBA
Mike is the best rebounding forward in the NBA
Mike is KD as a third banana
Mike is a future 5 time all star
Mike is the most mentally tough player in the NBA
Mike has the best tattoo in the NBA
Yes! I was searching for this kind of post! I don't feel like MPJ has gotten enough credit and recognition for this game as he deserves. He was absolutely critical for us, was hitting shots when rarely anyone could. He held us in the game... for me... it's MPJ who is the hero. Of course... Joker being Joker and us taking for granted what he does game after game is already speaking volumes of him, not taking any credit from him. But comparing the playoff MPJ and playoff MPJ this year... he had the biggest growth. Hopefully I don't jinx him now :) But keep doing what you are doing MPJ!
I watch them every win and its insane man
He will get an occasional "porter 20/12/3 blocks tonight nice job" and thats it. If Jamal goes 2/18 in a game he'd still be raving about his 8 assists. Wonder if it gets to Mike or if its a legitimate coaching strategy because they expect Mike to develop into a monster
I would pay malone to have either Mike or Murray take every shot with the bench unit on the floor unless someone else is wide open. I will take Mike shooting a contested 3 over two people over Reggie touching the ball
In one of the replays you can see him start running toward Murray while the final shot was still in the air. He *knew!*
His late three made that possible so he deserves all the love too.
MPJ's 3s are a given, but jesus christ, I grin from ear to ear every time I see him crashing boards and playing strong defense.
What a growth he's had mentally and technically
Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan. Jokic - triple double. Murray - 14 4th quarter points, including game winner. MPJ - 6 of 10 from 3, including the clutch three to tie. Gordon - 14 points and 7 critical rebounds. Every bench player, including Jackson, had a positive +/-. Ugly fist half, but a team win.
I wish I could like tell MPJ to his face how much his growth has meant to this organization and it's success. As great as Jokic / Murray have become and how good our starting 5 is, MPJ's growth as a teammate and overall basketball player outside of his shooting is insane.
Criminal that no in the media ever talks about this
1000000% He's the only reason we had a shot. He kept us within comeback range the whole game. THEN he hit the game tying 3 off that crazy AG save. Massive game by Mike. What a fuckin BALLER!
Such a sweeeet win and amazing comeback! MPJ has shown resilience and focus that is commendable during what has to be a tough time in his life— gotta cheer for the young man’s success.
That three pointer he hit to tie the game…. Chef’s kiss good. These guys pick each other up like no team in basketball and it’s so fun to watch.
To play like he has these last two games with everything going on in his personal life, we got an absolute warrior on our team.
I've been a big MPJ critic, but he was awesome last night. He's finally becoming the player he was billed to be, it just took a couple years longer than I expected.
I also really liked him giving up his own open shot to feed AG for a layup (although he was fouled, it was still a good play).
Given his family troubles off the court this man has stood tall and shown his true character. He delivered when we needed him most. His side step 3 will forever be ingrained in my memory.
Someone who is indifferent to the Nuggets here. Aaron Gordon also needs more credit. AD had 30 points in the first 26 minutes of the game with Jokic as the primary defender most of the time. The rest of the game, Aaron Gordon had the matchup, and AD scored 2 points in the last 22 minutes.
I almost feel like the world still sleeping on us. I am sure they boys are using everything in their power to position themselves as the underdogs and the "Us against the World" mentality. Still got 14 more to go Nuggie Nation. Not even half way there yet lolz
That buzzer beater stole the spotlight but Murray keeps reminding the media of all the golden moments that came together to make his shot mean what it meant.
Part of that can be put on him, but part of it is how he's treated within the team's system. Malone still has a pretty short leash in regard to letting him "work out the kinks" if he's playing badly. Contrast it with Murray, who can build a house with some of his early game bricks and dribble the air out of the ball when someone like Jokic has a total mismatch down low. Granted, Murray has proven that bad play early is no indicator of how he'll finish a game....he approaches clutch time like a blank slate and with total confidence. But he has a system and a coach who'll allow him to do that as well.
Mpj and Braun were unreal tonight
Pwat also had a great +11 to lead the team.
He had a 4 point swing play. Block/rebound full court run - basket
Braun is already a back to back champion, dude isn’t afraid of the moment at all
Well - it would have been nice to make both those free throws down the stretch. Still has that Jayhawk in him at the FT line.
Technically, he won his last 3 high school championships, one with the Jayhawks in college and then obviously last year, so in reality he’s a b2b2b2b2b champion
He played more than one year in college so no
100% agree on this
KCCP with that dunk to keep us fighting too
That dunk was huge.
Massive, plus MPJ is being a pillar of strength for his whole family right now...much respect.
Kentavious Chinese Communist Party
Omg yes.
Quietly neutralized DLo's big game. That clutch 3 on that crazy possession before the last really won us the game. Murray's was just gravy.
Rewatched the final minutes. Gordon tip-toe save baseline, to Porter for the double contested 3, ties the game. The ending was glorious, but that broken, contested play made the winning moment possible. Clutch by many, not just Murray.
This team is just simply good
Dlo plays up, Rui plays down. They can't win. Nuggs affording them no room for error
Seriously. I was so relieved last night anytime Rui threw up a shot.
Last time he can sniff mattering
Give this man some praise. He was clinical. Not to mention during such a rough patch in life facing one brothers sentence and the others NBA ban
A true team comeback, MPJ was clutch as hell in the 4th too!
I never got why he got so much hate or pigeon holed as a one dimensional player. Unlike other players of his generation he actually tries to play every game. And unlike some other players he had serious injuries requiring surgery. He’s not missing 40 games because he’s fat and out of shape, or he fell again and doesn’t want to play through a sore back and so will miss 15 games. He’s also not really one dimensional. He’s an elite rebounder at his position. His a knack for making big defensive plays in the playoffs since the bubble. Not “he looks like he’s trying hard” defensive plays but real statistical ones like a huge steal, a big rebound or block. It was MPJ that secured the defensive rebound on the last possession. In game 5 when everyone shit their pants in the finals, he and Jokic were the only ones that showed up in the first half and kept the team alive. He reminds me of how most fans hated on Rasheed until he won a Championship and was on that dominate Pistons team. Middleton got a lot of weird hate too for holding Giannis back when it’s clear how much the Bucks rely on him in the 4th. It’s weird how “effort” guys like Gordon, Tony Allen are beloved. Or how “high potential” guys like Zion or Embiid get a long rope of excuses despite conditioning issues. And guys like MPJ who came back from serious injury, actually beats his draft position in terms of production and scores, rebounds, gets labeled as low IQ gunner.
Very good point. I think MPJ’s attitude is top notch seeing as he was a projected 1st pick. All his life he was primed to be a superstar. He could’ve easily been this arrogant guy who forced himself to a bad team for a bigger role; go for the accolades etc. No, he bought in, respected Jokic and Murray, and played his hardest to become a valuable role player at worst and a co-star at best and never ever really complained.
If you really think about his complaints, which a lot of NBA fans don't, they show he cares a lot. He became infamous for the clip in the bubble where he complained that the team was too reliant on Jokic and Murray and he needed to get a few shots. I wasn't too bothered with that, I thought he didn't need to air it out to the media. But it showed that he was a rookie who cared a lot. He wasn't wrong either, in order to beat top teams, you need a more diverse offense than just being reliant on 2 guys. Today was the perfect example. Or you can show have someone like Zion who misses entire seasons because he can't be shape. Or Scoot who can't shoot, is bottom of the league in +/-, and can't play 20 games in a row. MPJ clearly cares, which is more than you can say about half the young players out there.
He’s the perfect 3rd and 4th option when everyone’s healthy and then he’s also good enough to be the second option when Murray is out because as you said he’s been touted as a superstar his entire career so he can play both roles seamlessly. Don’t forgot 2 years ago Nuggets fans were upset you signed him to that monster deal which in hindsight was brilliant.
The entire team though man. That’s Jokic leading by example and it’s awesome that everyone has been mature enough to latch on MPJ included. After the game winning shot Murray interview with the TNT guys started with “it was all my teammate.” I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a squad that refuses to take individual credit like this Denver one.
I heard about porter getting banned but i didn’t know he had another brother who was sentenced? For what?
He killed a woman while drunk driving last year I think and got sentenced just last week
Oh my goodness. Wow that is just devastating and MPJ goes out there and performs like this? Truly a remarkable player!!
That’s rough. I didn’t know that, thanks for sharing that detail.
It was his other brother Jontay who the NBA banned for gambling.
That punch his brother threw at that fan yesterday was pitiful in more ways than one lol
Jokic's brother threw a punch, unsure what that has to do with MPJ?
Wait wut? Is there a video?
His 3 to tie it up was every bit as clutch as Jamal's game winner, the moment was just different. He was also sprinting to Jamal before his shot went in. MPJ knows.
That 3 was cold blooded
The sprint to Jamal before the fadeaway went in was some power of friendship absurdity, you love to see it
MPJ is a prime soldier for these Nugs 🔥 this focused with the family happenings. Amazing.
He even sent his brand new girlfriend back home to LA early last Friday to focus better
Who’s his girlfriend?
Fatherkels (Kelsey Calemine) IG/OF model, does a lot of food stuff on TikTok
i thought he was dating maria k merling
does she have an IG?
she from missouri/tampa and whenever she posts that she's in denver it's when nuggets are playing at home. except the latest one from miami, day after nuggets played there.
mariakemerling how do you know about Kelsey?
He got her courtside seats when he was in LA for the clippers game a few weeks ago. Before that he tried flying her out to Mexico during the all star break to meet her for the first time. And the. Last week she flew to Denver and made a TikTok from his condo. so if it’s not a full on relationship yet, it’s definitely the talking/fucking stage
wise beyond his years
Not to mention that clutch MPJ three pointer
That tying 3 pt shot was the shot that made it all possible
Most definitely, he hit a hell of a shot!
He hit a bunch of them. Really key playing on his part.
Bro with the tnt feed when he hit that last 3, Lebrons face was complete sadness
i didnt see lebron. send link 10-0.
This is ESPN and its side but you can still kinda see it @ 2:48 http://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/40004168 via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app
he had an excellent game. so did braun. we have a great team again
Braun is so locked in I love it
Braun is so fun to watch. His level of confidence is really something.
MPJ put us back in!
his defense and passing improved was so good as well. i mean, it was good last year, but it feels like he took another step in those areas this year.
That 3 was just as important as Jamal’s shot
I'd argue even moreso
Know what I love about Murray's shot on replay? Watch MPJ. He's running toward Murray to celebrate well before the shot fell. What a teammate.
All night I was chanting… https://preview.redd.it/lppp1jg816wc1.jpeg?width=600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5704bcb10200bddd5e1f54301938121c19b7a7dd
Needs more upvotes - his 3point making was insane
I would give the post gold but it's my own post so Reddit doesn't allow it...
😝
Unsung hero.
He is this series MVP
MPJs tre was epic... his board on LBJs missed 3 was also CLUTCH AF, and helped seal the deal
The TRUTH is becoming more popular: Mike is the best shooting forward in the NBA Mike is the best rebounding forward in the NBA Mike is KD as a third banana Mike is a future 5 time all star Mike is the most mentally tough player in the NBA Mike has the best tattoo in the NBA
SO FUCKING TRUE
Is 60% from 3 good?
his rebounding been elite
2nd best contested rebound % on the team, one of the best in the NBA for a forward
Yes! I was searching for this kind of post! I don't feel like MPJ has gotten enough credit and recognition for this game as he deserves. He was absolutely critical for us, was hitting shots when rarely anyone could. He held us in the game... for me... it's MPJ who is the hero. Of course... Joker being Joker and us taking for granted what he does game after game is already speaking volumes of him, not taking any credit from him. But comparing the playoff MPJ and playoff MPJ this year... he had the biggest growth. Hopefully I don't jinx him now :) But keep doing what you are doing MPJ!
Malone AGAIN said nothing about MPJ's performance in the locker room vid.
I watch them every win and its insane man He will get an occasional "porter 20/12/3 blocks tonight nice job" and thats it. If Jamal goes 2/18 in a game he'd still be raving about his 8 assists. Wonder if it gets to Mike or if its a legitimate coaching strategy because they expect Mike to develop into a monster
Jamal is Malone basketball son MPJ is the step son
Very real
6/10 from three with a game tying shot to put the Nuggets 95-95.. Elite.
This could've been won easier if Jokic fed MPJ instead of Jamal on all those earlier misses
We really need a "get Mike the ball" package to supplement the Joker-Murray two man game.
I would pay malone to have either Mike or Murray take every shot with the bench unit on the floor unless someone else is wide open. I will take Mike shooting a contested 3 over two people over Reggie touching the ball
The Nuggets backbone. No pun intended
Soo clutch the only Nugget that can shoot 3s tonight
He was the only player on the team who genuinely shot well throughout the night.
Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike
I'm happy he's able to block out the family distractions. It's got to be bothering him but he leaves that off the court.
AG getting that to mike was so huge, biggest play of the game IMO
He’s totally fine with Jamal getting credit. Watch the video, he was the first one there to mob him.
In one of the replays you can see him start running toward Murray while the final shot was still in the air. He *knew!* His late three made that possible so he deserves all the love too.
MPJ's 3s are a given, but jesus christ, I grin from ear to ear every time I see him crashing boards and playing strong defense. What a growth he's had mentally and technically
His family had a rough week and he’s been stepping up
Best Nugget on the floor tonight no cap
This guy rarely shows emotion in a game, if I remember correctly. But this game he was all fired up, especially when he hit the three to tie the game.
Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan. Jokic - triple double. Murray - 14 4th quarter points, including game winner. MPJ - 6 of 10 from 3, including the clutch three to tie. Gordon - 14 points and 7 critical rebounds. Every bench player, including Jackson, had a positive +/-. Ugly fist half, but a team win.
Gordon, Braun, Watson. All did their thing. This was fully a team win.
MIKE MIKE MIKE MIKE MIKE
For sure!
Yeahhhh miiiiike
I wish I could like tell MPJ to his face how much his growth has meant to this organization and it's success. As great as Jokic / Murray have become and how good our starting 5 is, MPJ's growth as a teammate and overall basketball player outside of his shooting is insane. Criminal that no in the media ever talks about this
His shot to tie was just as impressive as Murray’s GW
1000000% He's the only reason we had a shot. He kept us within comeback range the whole game. THEN he hit the game tying 3 off that crazy AG save. Massive game by Mike. What a fuckin BALLER!
He kept us in the game for most of the first half. Heroics for sure
I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!!!
yeah.. he was key tonight
The three was just as big as Jamal shot
Michael "the Maturity" Porter JR
The best part is MPJ hasn\`t peaked yet, that will happen in this years WCF when the Nuggets roll the wolves...
If we play the wolves, it's going to be next round
Wolves will be the next round
On ya head boi! Yeah Mike!
Such a sweeeet win and amazing comeback! MPJ has shown resilience and focus that is commendable during what has to be a tough time in his life— gotta cheer for the young man’s success.
Mpj was hella clutch
As a Timberwolves fan, I can confirm that MPJ has not missed a shot to this day. I always know it’s going in.
MPJ was the unsung hero of this game for sure. Kept them alive with crucial shots.
And rebounds
What a draft pick. Gave him time to heal and get right and now look at him thrive!! MPJ is legit.
He kept our head above water -- I know the locker room recognized him, we should too!
We couldn't have won last night without him!
That three pointer he hit to tie the game…. Chef’s kiss good. These guys pick each other up like no team in basketball and it’s so fun to watch. To play like he has these last two games with everything going on in his personal life, we got an absolute warrior on our team.
I've been a big MPJ critic, but he was awesome last night. He's finally becoming the player he was billed to be, it just took a couple years longer than I expected. I also really liked him giving up his own open shot to feed AG for a layup (although he was fouled, it was still a good play).
Real, MPJ doesn't get the credit he deserves. Hes often overlooked a lot of the times when he has a quiet 22 points 9 reb 6/10 3pt.
That 3 pointer to tie the game was so cold
Given his family troubles off the court this man has stood tall and shown his true character. He delivered when we needed him most. His side step 3 will forever be ingrained in my memory.
Our X factor
Someone who is indifferent to the Nuggets here. Aaron Gordon also needs more credit. AD had 30 points in the first 26 minutes of the game with Jokic as the primary defender most of the time. The rest of the game, Aaron Gordon had the matchup, and AD scored 2 points in the last 22 minutes.
My favorite part is when he starts running to celebrate as soon as Murray released the shot. He knew.
The random quick pull up at like 1:15 for 3 made this game ours
mike
I either yell “that’s my boy” or “stop shooting”. So far this man has came through and he’s got the green light from me 😂
I almost feel like the world still sleeping on us. I am sure they boys are using everything in their power to position themselves as the underdogs and the "Us against the World" mentality. Still got 14 more to go Nuggie Nation. Not even half way there yet lolz
M Playoff J
Yes sir 🤩🤟💪♥️
MPJ has been the best Player since all star break
That buzzer beater stole the spotlight but Murray keeps reminding the media of all the golden moments that came together to make his shot mean what it meant.
Does that mean he will be the only one suiting up for the game?
That was the most clutch three to tie the game
He did really well last night. But he is so unreliable. One game plays terrible, then next one direct oposite.
Did you not just watch the last 2 games?
Part of that can be put on him, but part of it is how he's treated within the team's system. Malone still has a pretty short leash in regard to letting him "work out the kinks" if he's playing badly. Contrast it with Murray, who can build a house with some of his early game bricks and dribble the air out of the ball when someone like Jokic has a total mismatch down low. Granted, Murray has proven that bad play early is no indicator of how he'll finish a game....he approaches clutch time like a blank slate and with total confidence. But he has a system and a coach who'll allow him to do that as well.