When the Nuggets ousted the Timberwolves in five games on Tuesday night, Michael Porter Jr. dwelled on his rough shooting night for about the length of time it takes him to fire off an uncontested 3-pointer.
“I’m not really tripping about how many points I score, especially in the playoff game,” Porter said. “It’s all about the win.”
It didn’t matter to Porter that he’d scored just eight points (albeit huge ones) and was inefficient from the field. In 39 minutes, Porter snatched 10 boards and had a key deflection to break up a Rudy Gobert lob in the fourth quarter.
It was one small example of the Nuggets’ complete buy-in this playoff run, and why they believe, at the outset of their second-round series against Phoenix, they have as good a chance as any remaining team to win a title.
“All the teams that win championships, everybody sacrifices,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said following practice on Friday afternoon.
“Get over yourself,” was a mantra he’s repeated dozens of times this season, including after Friday’s energetic practice. No one, he emphasized, was bigger than the team itself.
Beginning with Nikola Jokic, who refuses to take himself seriously, individual egos are excised from this locker room. When Jokic was relayed Porter’s message following Game 5, the two-time MVP vehemently approved.
“I think that’s really important,” Jokic said. “We cannot think about that right now.”
Malone credited Jokic with setting the tone and the rest of his team for falling in line. In fairness, when Jokic is more or less indifferent to his individual numbers, it makes enforcing that ethos much easier. But the truth is that they’ve all bought in. An invaluable component of the championship recipe has already been reached.
It could be Jamal Murray, who Jokic deemed the star of Denver’s first-round series, or it could be Porter, who could rain fire on the Suns from beyond the 3-point line. Those two stars, both back in the postseason after significant injuries, have waited so long to be able to contribute on this level that they’ve both gained perspective about what’s at stake.
“Losing teams, losing players are worried about T-&-T, time and touches,” Malone said.
Those concerns aren’t there with this veteran group. They’ve experienced enough playoff heartache to know what’s important. And those that haven’t, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Christian Braun, have won championships at all levels. Bruce Brown, another player of that same mold, could be a starter on numerous teams, but he signed in Denver wanting to win.
Beyond that mindset, the Nuggets have a tangible advantage in terms of their depth. If Phoenix is top-heavy, loaded with shooters in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, then the Nuggets have strength in numbers. Though they played just five games in their first-round series vs. the Clippers, Durant and Booker ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA in terms of average minutes played per game, each topping out at more than 43. Aging guard Chris Paul was No. 12.
In the first round, the Suns leaned heavily on their top six guys. Can the Nuggets employ Braun, Brown and Jeff Green to exhaust Phoenix and expose its limitations? The reserve minutes are ripe for picking.
What’s more, Malone suggested he wasn’t scared to go even deeper, perhaps trying out nine or 10 guys in his rotation. The longer this series goes, the better that bodes for the Nuggets.
Their attitude and their personnel have equipped them for a tantalizing run. If they come out of the West, Saturday might mark the start of their biggest obstacle.
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