The Nuggets have a Michael Porter Jr. dilemma.
His persistence is to them a lifeline or a liability, any given night. The longer they hang around in these playoffs, the more consequential his vacillations become.
He managed to shoot 44% from 3-point range in the first round while nursing a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. He was the poster boy for the Nuggets’ collective resilience in a first-round series played under unusual circumstances, without a full-time head coach or general manager. They won three of the last four games to prevail over the Clippers; he knocked down 11 of his 22 outside jumpers during that span, then he asked for help removing his jersey after the games.