A blunder that could’ve made a lighthearted appearance on NBA on TNT’s segment Shaqtin A Fool, has turned into a genuine concern for Michael Porter Jr. and the Denver Nuggets (5-4).
Porter Jr. was going for an easy dunk in the first quarter during a Nuggets’ 95-94 win over the Houston Rockets (1-9) over the weekend. After gathering a loose ball near midcourt, the young forward somehow fumbled the play, readjusted for a layup, and smoked it.
Michael Porter Jr. really missed this layup 😳 pic.twitter.com/kFlZ2zvUau
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 6, 2021
Porter Jr. appeared to suffer the back injury on the play and attempted to fight through it but left for the rest of the game midway through the first quarter. The team described the injury as low back pain. An injury that held him out of practice and the next game against the Miami Heat (7-2) on Monday, according to Harrison Wind via HoopsHype.
Nuggets say Michael Porter Jr. (low back pain) is out for tomorrow vs. the Heat.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) November 8, 2021
According to the Denver Post, Porter Jr. will be receiving ongoing treatment and could possibly miss the next several games as he recovers.
Porter Jr. and the Nuggets will look to be careful considering his history of back injuries dating back to his lone college basketball season at Missouri. The fourth-year forward had to sit out his entire rookie season recovering from back surgery.
The Nuggets signed Michael Porter Jr. to a five-year contract extension worth up to $207 million in the offseason. He’s struggled to start the season with averages of 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 35.9 percent from the field.
