All it took was one dazzling 25-second sequence for Nuggets fans to see the future.
Michael Porter Jr. was already working on a masterpiece as far as NBA starting debuts go. When he went to work, dipping in and out of the 3-point line, with 8:10 left in the fourth quarter against Sacramento’s 6-foot-10 center Richaun Holmes, he was sitting on 14 points, a handful of offensive rebounds and just one missed shot all night.
But when Porter gathered from the left wing, side-stepping left to create a window, Nuggets fans had to pinch themselves at the ease with which he buried a 3-pointer despite intense pressure.