Porter had six points (2-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt), seven rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 36 minutes during Tuesday's 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Porter managed just six points in the victory, continuing his recent offensive struggles. He has scored fewer than 10 points in three of the past four games, a very different story when compared to how he opened the playoffs. Despite his poor shooting, the Nuggets now sit just one win away from an other trip to the Conference Finals. Look for Porter to turn things around in the near future.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Masterfule performance in win
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Jokic supplied 40 points (15-22 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals over 41 minutes during Tuesday's 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Jokic took over during the Game 5 victory, leading the Nuggets to a third consecutive victory over the Timberwolves. Despite coming up against the defensive player of the year, Jokic had no issues getting what he wanted in and around the basket. The series will now head back to Minnesota where Jokic and the Nuggets will look to wrap things up.
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Nuggets' Christian Braun: Logs 28 minutes in victory
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Braun closed Tuesday's 112-97 victory over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 28 minutes.
Braun continues to play meaningful minutes for the Nuggets, scoring double-digits for the second straight game. After failing to play more than 19 minutes during the first eight postseason games, he has now played 25 and 28 minutes respectively in each of the past two games. After reeling off three straight victories, the Nuggets now sit one win away from a trip to the Conference Finals.
Murray (calf) is available for Tuesday's Game 5 against Minnesota.
Questionable tags have been par for the course for Murray in this series, but he continues to push through his calf strain. He's not expected to have any restrictions Tuesday evening.
Nuggets' Jamal Murray: Listed as questionable again
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Murray is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Timberwolves due to a left calf strain.
After a tumultuous Game 2, Murray and the Nuggets rebounded for back-to-back wins in Minnesota to even the series. While the calf injury remains a storyline for the point guard, Murray hasn't looked bothered by the issue over the last two games, as he's averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 38.5 minutes. Murray is likely more probable than questionable for Game 5, but his official availability could come down to a game-time decision.
Nuggets' Jamal Murray: Scores 19 points in Game 4 win
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Murray provided 19 points (8-17 FG, 3-7 3Pt), five rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 39 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 win over Minnesota in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Murray drained a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first half and finished just two assists shy of posting what would've been his first double-double of the series. The shooting woes remain for Murray, however, as he's hitting just 40 percent of his field goals so far in the four games against Minnesota, but he seems to be trending in the right direction after scoring 19 or more points in his last two contests.
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Nuggets' Nikola Jokic: Carries Denver to even series
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Jokic ended Sunday's 115-107 win over the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 35 points (15-26 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists, one block and three steals in 39 minutes.
Aaron Gordon had an excellent showing and Jamal Murray made some clutch buckets throughout the game, but Jokic was the engine that kept the team going. For the second game in a row, he came through whenever Denver needed him the most. Jokic is expected to lead the Nuggets as the series returns to Denver for a pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday, and he's averaging 26.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in the series.
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Nuggets' Aaron Gordon: Makes history in Game 4 victory
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Gordon produced 27 points (11-12 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal over 41 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 win over the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Even though Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray get most of the attention for carrying Denver back from an 0-2 deficit, Gordon's performance Sunday can't be overlooked. He became the first player in NBA history to put up at least 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists while shooting 90 percent or better from the field in a playoff game. He's averaging 17.3 points per game while shooting 71.8 percent from the field in the series, and he'll aim to keep the momentum going ahead of Game 5 on Tuesday.
Murray (calf) will play in Sunday's Game 4 against Minnesota.
Murray has been dealing with a calf injury throughout the series and is yet to miss a game, so it isn't surprising to see him shed another questionable tag. After struggling in the first two games of the series, Murray bounced back in Game 3 with a 24-point outing on solid efficiency, and he will look to carry that momentum over to Sunday's matchup.
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Nuggets' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Available Sunday
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Caldwell-Pope (abdomen) will play in Sunday's Game 4 against the Timberwolves.
Caldwell-Pope was deemed questionable ahead of gametime due to a right abdominal contusion, but he will suit up for Sunday's matchup. Battling through the same injury in Game 3, Caldwell-Pope logged 37 minutes, so he should be in for a full workload Sunday.
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Nuggets' Reggie Jackson: Good to go
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Jackson (calf) is available for Sunday's Game 4 against Minnesota.
Jackson will overcome a second consecutive questionable tag to suit up for Sunday's matchup. Jackson has had a limited presence this series as he has battled injury, averaging just 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.7 minutes through three games.
