Michael Porter Jr. Recalls Enjoying Playoff Wins Over Lakers With Nuggets
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Former Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. says beating the Los Angeles Lakers in consecutive postseasons was one of the highlights of his career with the reigning NBA champions.
Speaking on the “Glory Daze” podcast, Porter said he “always used to cook the Lakers,” noting that Los Angeles “never” managed to defeat Denver during their recent playoff meetings. The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter added that facing LeBron James made those series even more memorable.
“He’s the epitome of greatness in sports,” Porter said. “To be able to go into L.A., we swept the Lakers one year, the other year we beat them 4-1 or 4-2. It was a good feeling.”
Dominant numbers against L.A.
The Nuggets eliminated the Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, winning four straight. Porter averaged 15.0 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 42.4% from three-point range in that series.
Denver repeated the feat in the 2024 first round, taking the matchup 4-1. Porter raised his production to 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and hit 48.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
At one point, Los Angeles dropped 10 straight games to Denver across the regular season and playoffs.
New chapter in Brooklyn
Porter’s run against the Lakers ended when Denver traded him to the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason. Still, his postseason success helped fuel a budding rivalry that will continue when the NBA stages its annual Rivalry Week in January. The schedule features James and the Lakers facing Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in the opening matchup.
Source: Lakers Nation
