BREAKING: Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic delivers harsh message to Michael Porter Jr. after benching

Nikola Jokic shared some words amid Michael Porter Jr.’s struggles in Game 1.

The Denver Nuggets are up 1-0 in their first-round matchup in the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers following a 112-110 overtime thriller at Ball Arena last Saturday. However, the victory did not come about without some concerns for Denver, including the anemic production of forward Michael Porter Jr.

The 26-year-old Porter mustered just three points in 26 minutes of action against the Clippers. Given his poor showing in regulation, Porter ended up getting benched in overtime, with former NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook, who came off the bench in the contest, playing in every second of the game’s final five minutes.

Letting Westbrook play in those crucial minutes ultimately paid off for Denver, as he finished with 15 points. Although he shot just 5-for-17 from the field, Westbrook made a huge defensive stop late in overtime to help the Nuggets come away with the win.

Porter’s low scoring production was perhaps as much of an issue as the fact that he was only able to take four shots in the entire Game 1. Asked about his teammate following the contest, three-time NBA MVP and Denver superstar big man Nikola Jokic gave an honest take on being locked in on the job, especially in the playoffs.

“If you’re not going to be engaged right now, then you’re not supposed to be playing this sport,” Jokic said (h/t Brendan Vogt of DNVR Nuggets)

Jokic was the complete opposite of Porter against Los Angeles, as the Serbian led the Nuggets with 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the floor with 12 assists and nine rebounds, plus three steals and a block in 46 minutes. The Nuggets will still go as far as where Jokic takes them, but at the same time, he can’t do it all by himself.

As helpful as Westbrook was in Game 1, he’s still viewed as a volatile asset for the Nuggets with a seemingly unpredictable game-by-game (and even minute-by-minute) outlook. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon had 21 and 25 points, respectively, in Game 1, but the Nuggets are still a better team when Porter is finding good looks on offense and making his shots.

In the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Porter averaged 15.8 points while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from behind the arc. And during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, he normed a career-high 18.2 points on a 50.4 field goal percentage with a 39.5 percent success rate from deep.