Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Michael Porter Jr. praises Nuggets teammates for support during emotional week

Michael Porter Jr. could understandably have been focused on matters besides basketball when the Denver Nuggets played the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series on Saturday.

Earlier in the week, his brother, Jontay Porter, was issued a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating the league's gambling policy. Days later, his younger brother, Coban Porter, was sentenced to six years in prison for killing a woman in a DUI crash.

Despite those difficulties for his family, Porter scored 19 points with eight rebounds in Denver's 114–103 victory, a performance that may have been unexpected considering what he dealt with throughout the week.