Michael Porter Jr. was instrumental in helping the Denver Nuggets get the first win against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. But off the court, the young forward has been dealing with family issues, specifically that of his brothers, Coban and Jontay Porter.
In Denver’s 114-103 victory over the Lakers, Jokic showed everyone why he’s in the MVP conversation by tallying 32 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 39 minutes on the floor. Jamal Murray made 22 points and 10 assists, while Michael Porter added 19 points on 53 percent shooting from the field.
Lakers’ big man Anthony Davi s led his team by dropping 32 points and 14 rebounds. James ran the offense for Los Angeles by posting 27 points and eight assists. Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves each had 13 points for the Purple and Gold. The former shot 30 percent from the field and 11 percent from beyond the arc, contributing to LA’s loss to the Nuggets.
The win helped Denver get one step closer to returning to the NBA Finals and defend their championship. The Lakers’ loss, however, highlights how inferior their entire lineup is when compared to the Jokic-led team. This is noticeable, especially when it comes to the backcourt, as pointed out by NBA legend Magic Johnson.
Despite a pressure-filled scenario against James and the Lakers, Porter Jr. still faced the media and answered questions about his family, as seen in a pair of videos shared by Brandon Krisztal and Awful Announcing on X:
Credit to Michael Porter Jr. for answering questions about such a challenging week with his brother Johntay being banned from the NBA for life, and brother Coban being sentenced to 6 yrs in prison for killing a woman in a drunk-driving accident.@KOAColorado #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/6UuMsZrajf
— Brandon Krisztal (@BKDenverSports) April 21, 2024
Michael Porter Jr.: “I definitely tried to compartmentalize — some bad and sad stuff happening with a couple of my brothers. But I’ve got, you know 15, 16 more brothers in here. I knew I had to be here for them.
(via @TroyRenck)pic.twitter.com/c6a1p1ta5c
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 21, 2024
Just recently, the NBA banned Jontay for life after he was discovered engaged in illegal gambling activities involving official league games. Meanwhile, Coban has been sentenced this week for the DUI incident that happened last year. He also received two additional years for vehicular assault that led to injuring the victim’s passenger.
Even with all the problems he’s facing at home, Porter Jr. still chose to focus more on Denver’s first round series against the Lakers. Hopefully, he can stay within the zone to keep his mind off the trouble his brothers have gotten into.
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