They can’t make it easy on themselves. Just two nights after fumbling a winnable Game 3 away, the Nuggets slipped and fell in the third quarter of Game 4 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Nuggets stormed back from an early deficit to tie the game in the second half, but a curious decision from Head Coach Michael Malone punctured the tires, and Denver skidded off the road. It’s back to 3-1 for a second straight series after the 96-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. If the Nuggets can hold on long enough, their path forward is a fourth Game 7 in as many tries.

The Nuggets aren’t the first team to face a series record that doesn’t correctly reflect their competitiveness. These are the playoffs, where the margin for error is thin and the smallest talent discrepancies bloat. They’re so close. Closer than the detractors will ever admit. But for now, the Nuggets still sit just outside the contender’s party, watching from the window.

Denver looked unprepared and almost surprised by the start of the game. The starters stumbled out of the gate, and the team put up just 12 points in the quarter. Eight of those points belonged to Nikola Jokić, who took eight of the team’s 17 field goal attempts in the first 12 minutes. It was shaping up to be a long night for the Nuggets and their fans. Then Michael Porter Jr. arrived.

Porter shot 4/5 in the second quarter, including 3/4 from deep on his way to 13 points. He was at the doorstep of his zone — a zone only reached by the very best scorers in the world, and the Nuggets chopped a near 20 point lead back down to eight. The Porter runs can come out of nowhere. While his game fits neatly in line with Jokić’s, he’s also capable of generating his looks regardless of the flow. Instant offense — just add water.

The Nuggets forgot the water in the second half.

By the 10:00 mark, Denver had evened the score and already entered the bonus. The momentum was theirs, the whistle was friendly, and the opportunity was golden. But it all unraveled so quickly. Gary Harris picked up his fourth foul at the 8:18 mark, and Malone opted for Torrey Craig, who has struggled all series long.

Maybe Malone could have turned to MPJ again. Perhaps he could have played PJ Dozier or Monte Morris. The options aren’t great without the injured Will Barton III, but any choice is better than throwing Craig out there alongside two power forwards. Unsurprisingly, the trio of Craig/Jerami Grant/Paul Millsap didn’t work. Porter Jr. didn’t check in until past the halfway mark in the quarter. By then, Murray was on the bench, the Craig-Grant tandem was still on the floor, and somehow the Nuggets trailed by 12 again. If they had a chance to steal Game 4, it evaded them for good in the third.

As for Porter, he did end up playing in 17:30 of the second half, but he wasn’t out there when Denver needed him most. And when he was, he wasn’t a part of the offense. Despite his electric first half, MPJ attempted only two field goals in the third and fourth.

And so it’s back to 3-1 for the Denver Nuggets. With their backs against the wall, it’s up to the Nuggets to decide how this ends once again. Will they accept the mercy kill? Can they make the Clippers fight for it? Or will they pull off the near-impossible? Like round one, the series isn’t, in fact, over yet. Not if they don’t want it to be.

Let’s go to the grades:

Honor Roll

Nikola Jokić – A-

The Clippers are going to make someone else beat them. They can live with the first quarter flurries and the occasional three-pointer from Jokić so long as they make him move the ball when it counts. Jokić will make the right play, but the right play has to be available to him, which it isn’t in lineups like the one deployed in the third and described above. Craig is open for a reason. Millsap too — even Grant. Jokić needs some help, and it involves more than just teammates making shots. He needs help from his coaching staff also.

Final line: 26 points (48%), 11 rebounds, 6 assists – 3 turnovers

The Class 

MPJ – B+

It was an “A” first half from the 22-year-old phenom, but a far worse second half, and even worse post-game. When asked if the Clippers did anything differently on him defensively, he was transparent and curt.

“We just went to [Jokic] and [Murray] … I just think to beat that team, we got to get more players involved.”

—MPJ on what the Nuggets need to do to beat the Clippers pic.twitter.com/M1brnvSzJC

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 10, 2020

You might find yourself agreeing with him. But no one who’s been around an NBA team will agree with how he handled himself. It’s not the place of a rookie to call out the decision-makers of a team that found its success before he came around. A live press conference certainly isn’t the proper setting to voice these concerns. But this is also who Porter is. He believes in himself, as well he should. There’s no set of circumstances that will dull his confidence. There’s no team he can’t improve.

Comments like these aren’t a first for MPJ, and probably won’t be the last either. As for the fallout? Professionals and adults comprise this organization. Hysteria and overreaction is a media game.

Gary Harris – B

Harris played well when he played, but his early foul trouble was the catalyst for the Nuggets’ second-half collapse.

Principal’s Office

Everyone else – D+

Pick a name. Murray? He was nowhere near good enough, and at times looked like he didn’t even want the ball. Grant? Just 7 points in 34 minutes. Zero rebounds. Zero assists. Millsap? Invisible. Craig? Unplayable. Malone? Perhaps the biggest culprit.