NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 3, 2023

Michael Porter, Jr.

Denver Nuggets

Practice Day

Q. Mike, what was the emphasis in practice today?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I think in the playoffs, obviously, it's about adjustments game to game, so we had some defensive adjustments. They got loose a few times. Then offensively just figuring out ways to beat them. They played a pretty good defensive game on us, so figuring out ways we could beat them.

Q. Kind of an uncharacteristic shooting night for you from three. What do you chalk that up to, or did you like the looks you got?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I thought I had great looks. Ball felt pretty good coming out of my hands, but yeah, I can't worry too much about percentages. They were good looks. I've got to keep shooting those, work on my shots on these couple days off. Hopefully some more fall next game.

Q. I heard you say on JJ Redick's podcast throughout all the back surgeries there was never a plan B. You didn't start thinking about what else you could possibly do. What allowed -- do you think that approach allowed you to be successful in your rehabs from the numerous setbacks?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, definitely. I just think an unrelenting will no matter what happens to you until your body can't go anymore, that was just kind of my thought process was like I'm going to keep working at this. This is what I love to do. My whole life growing up I never had a plan B. Always thought I was going to make it to the NBA. Always wanted to be an NBA player.

Through all the surgeries, all the up and downs, that never changed. I think it takes a lot of faith, but it also takes a lot of willpower and things like that.

Q. Michael, there's been a lot of talk about this Nuggets team that had there not been injuries to you and Jamal over the past few seasons, maybe you would have been here sooner. Did you start to see that develop, or when did you start to see that, hey, getting to this stage was really possible?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I think there's really a ton of teams throughout the regular season who are good enough to make a Finals run. Tons of things can happen in the playoffs, whether it's injuries, things like that, that kind of give a team an edge.

So, I think we knew we had this potential in us ever since this core came together, since we traded for Aaron, and we went on a good little win streak. We really felt like we had this potential back in the bubble.

We felt like that Lakers series could have gone a completely different way. Anthony Davis hit a big game-winner, one of those games that put them up in the series, and they were a really good team so they got us there.

But we knew we had the team because we were still very young. We knew if we keep this core together, a couple years down the road we could be right back here, and that's what we did.

And shout-out to the guys that believed in this core, kept us together, and yeah, we're back here and we're excited.

Q. When you got here and started playing alongside Nikola, was there anything that -- had you ever seen a passer like that? Probably not because it's so unique, but how did you prepare for playing alongside him knowing that a pass could come at any time?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, so in high school I actually played with a few really, really good passers. They're different than Nikola because they didn't come from the center position, but I played AAU with Trae Young who's also a tremendous passer. We fed off of each other. He would find me for amazing looks, as well.

So, I'm used to playing alongside really, really good players. Nikola is a little different, like I said, because a lot of it's coming out of the post and things like that.

But it's very easy to play with guys like that. I'm very blessed to have good teammates like Nikola.

Aaron is also a very good passer.

I feel like Jamal has gotten a lot better in that area.

So, we got a lot of dudes who make a lot of good plays.

Q. Coach said after Game 1, he thought there was a stretch in the fourth where you guys got a little stagnant against their zone. When you look back at that, do you sort of identify any sort of bad habits that you need to fix against that, or is it more so you were getting some shots that you liked and they weren't going in?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, we had a few good looks. I missed one in the corner.

Nikola missed a little post turnaround shot.

I think Jamal missed a shot.

But there definitely was a period in that game where we were just launching deep threes, contested shots. I don't think we've really seen a zone the way they do it, so it's hard to make adjustments in the middle of a game when you don't really know what's going on.

But that's what the playoffs is about. We watch film, saw what they're doing with their zone. Hopefully attack a little bit better and make a few more of those shots.

Q. Last game the Heat was focused more on Jokic and on Murray, and you and Gordon were the difference for the game. Did you prepare that beforehand, or that was something that occurred during the game?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I think one thing about our team is we just take what the defense gives us. So, game to game, possession to possession, we've got a lot of guys who are very unselfish and will just take what the defense gives them.

When a team is playing Nikola one-on-one, he can go to work. They were playing Jamal in ways where he could get to his shot, but as soon as a team brings a double-team to Nikola, he's going to find the right guy, make the right passes.

It wasn't really preplanned. We've just got a team that takes what the defense gives us.

Q. When we talked to you about defense, you've chalked a lot of it up to feeling better physically. Are you still at the point where you're feeling better and better and better as the season goes on? It's a point in the year where a lot of guys are probably not feeling as good as they did in the beginning of the season. Are you like the reverse of that?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: I think, yeah, I'm still healing, still getting back to my full athleticism and things like that as time goes on, but at this point in the season there's a lot of soreness. When it comes to regular soreness, we all are experiencing that. These games are so intense, playing higher minutes.

But overall, my healing from my surgeries and things like that, I still think I'm on the up and up.

I think this offseason will make another leap in that area, get to focus on some things you don't get to focus on during the season. But yeah, definitely sore at this point in the year for sure.

Q. You guys and Miami both having made the deep bubble run a couple years ago had to have been around each other in close quarters a lot. I'm curious if there were ever any funny interactions or sort of what that was like being in that enclosed space with them.

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, the bubble was pretty unique. So there was three hotels that teams were divided in. I can't remember if the Heat were in our hotel but walking around and going to different restaurants in the bubble, you see everybody. You see all the teams, all the different players.

I don't really remember specific instances running into the Heat, but it might have been because they were in a different hotel. But the bubble was definitely a unique experience.

Q. To follow up on the bubble, what's your lasting memory of the bubble? I know it was a long stretch for teams that were in there. Do you take away any enjoyment from that experience?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I look back on it and take a lot of enjoyment. That was kind of the first time playing with the Nuggets where I got consistent minutes, so it was kind of -- it was a good time for me because that still was considered my rookie season and I wasn't getting a ton of time before the bubble.

But then we took that big break, I came to the bubble when some guys had COVID so they couldn't come out there, and I really got to play my game and shine with the Nuggets. That kind of started my role on the team.

But my favorite memory of the bubble is definitely the piña coladas at the pool. We would go to the pool every single day, me, Bol Bol, Torrey Craig. We would just go to the pool and drink piña coladas all day.