Michael Porter Jr. made advantage of the basketball floor as a safe haven and tried his best to check his thoughts at the bench.

He claimed that it was difficult to prevent his thoughts from turning to his younger brother Jontay, who was suspended by the NBA last week following an investigation into his gambling. Or Coban, his other brother, who was given a six-year prison sentence on Friday for causing a tragic drunk driving accident.

However, the sixth-year player known by his moniker, “MPJ,” couldn’t help but think about his Denver Nuggets teammates, who had supported and cared for him throughout his career.

In Game 1 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, Porter led the Nuggets with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

“A few of my brothers experienced some unfortunate events,” Porter remarked in the locker room following the game. However, I have 15 or 16 additional brothers in this room. I therefore understood that I needed to come in, take care of business, and try to get ready to perform it to the best of my abilities.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who finished with 12 points and four 3-pointers in the second half, was amazed by that level of concentration.

“I applaud him for having that mindset,” Caldwell-Pope remarked. “We’re going to keep him straight as brothers.”

Porter was absent from drills. Friday to see the sentencing of Coban Porter, the younger brother and a former University of Denver guard, for a drunk driving collision that claimed the life of a 42-year-old woman last year.

That came after another brother, the 24-year-old former reserve Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors, was permanently banned by the NBA for making bets on basketball and giving away private information to other gamblers.

Even though Michael Porter Jr. claims that basketball has enabled him to escape, it was still challenging.

Porter remarked, “Being human, we bring our feelings and the things that happen outside of the court onto the court.” “But my mental toughness”

Prior to participating in all but one game this season, he underwent multiple back surgeries after graduating from college, essentially missing two NBA seasons.

“Throughout my entire career, I’ve experienced a lot,” Porter remarked. “I had to try to play through it as just another one of those things.”

The big man for the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, gave credit for putting in this kind of performance.

Jokic, who finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds, remarked, “That’s why basketball is such a beautiful game—you don’t think about anything except what’s going on on the floor.” The stuff hits you, of course, both before and after. However, I believe that we all made an effort to reach out to him, and family comes first. However, we are also a family of sorts. Thus, ideally, he will discover serenity and be in a decent mental state.

Porter was grateful for the help. A gift that was left on the chair in front of his locker, which he thought might have been from Caldwell-Pope or Jamal Murray, was also appreciated. The words, “I’m going to do today what others won’t, so that tomorrow I can do what others can’t,” were printed on a poster.

Porter stated, “I have to go hang it up at the house,” after playing for more than 37 minutes without giving up a point. “My teammates texted me individually, reassuring me that they were there for me.

“They have me covered if I need anything.”