NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 11, 2023

Michael Porter, Jr.

Aaron Gordon

Denver Nuggets

Practice Day

Q. In previous rounds when you got to three victories, what was the mindset? How did you deal with the whole close-out nature and getting the other team's best shot in order to win in advance? You're in that situation now. Not advancing but winning.

MICHAEL PORTER JR: I think this team is different than the other teams we've faced. They're relentless. They're going to come in full force. We ended up actually blowing Phoenix out in Phoenix, but we know tomorrow is not going to be like that.

But one thing about this team is we just have a game-by-game mentality, so we're viewing it as we're down 3-1, we're not up 3-1 right now. We've got to win tomorrow. That's our mindset, and that's pretty much how we've done all Playoffs and these elimination games.

Q. The city is crazed with this moment. The fans are crazed about this moment. They have been waiting a long time for that. How do you guys work your mind to be focused on the game with the whole atmosphere right now?

AARON GORDON: Well, we rely on our team. We rely on our brothers. We understand what the task is at hand and what we're trying to accomplish and the opportunity that we have in front of us, and to accomplish that you need a level of focus.

While the rest of the city is frenetic and ecstatic and buzzing, we've got to stay calm and we've got to stay level headed and focused to achieve what we've set out to achieve since training camp.

Q. Aaron, for you, we haven't seen Peyton Watson play much in the Playoffs, but behind the scenes what have you seen from him and the work he's put in, and how valuable can this experience be for a rookie just being around this atmosphere and you guys as a team as you're making this deep run?

AARON GORDON: I mean, this is an amazing experience, an amazing opportunity for P-Wat. Would he like to be playing? I'm sure he would. But he's behind some really, really, really great players, and he's getting to observe and getting to study and all the energy that he's not using on the court he gets to store up and use it for when he does get on the court.

P-Wat has a great feel for the game and a chance to be a really great player for this team and to help this team along the way. I'm excited for P-Wat and the experience that he has gathered thus far.

Q. Aaron, the way that Jamal has been facilitating and having in that last game 12 assists, no turnovers, how would you describe he's been able to find you guys and get the offense in the right place?

AARON GORDON: That's a Point God right there, 12 assists, no turnovers, not forcing, hitting big shots, timely shots, and really just being a floor general out there, being steady, rock solid, even when they're trapping, giving him different looks.

He's making the right play, and that's what we need from him night in and night out.

Q. Michael, you were able to attack a few times the other night, get a few easy ones, got to the line a few times. Do you feel like it's just a matter of time where you fall into a great rhythm and catch fire from three?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: We've only got hopefully one game left, so hopefully I can catch a rhythm this game.

But I did what I could last game. I think I played with good effort. I think I tried to get downhill, get to the rim, be active cutting. My teammates found me.

Getting to the line is big for me, so when my shot is not falling, even though that's my bread and butter, is my jumper, but there's other ways impact the game. So, I just got to keep looking to do that.

I'm going to let a few fly tomorrow. Hopefully they go in, but if not, I'm going to stay active defensively, on the boards, cutting to the rim, all those things.

Q. Nobody is going to turn back the clock from the three-point game and small ball, but given the size advantage that you guys have, where has that been most effective and important in this series so far?

AARON GORDON: I mean, we've been doing a good job on the glass. I think defensively it helps, as well. Then we're able to post on the block, just using our size and using our advantages physically.

But yeah, we've got to go through Joker, continue to go through Joker, give him the spacing that he needs, and then eat off him.

Q. I know you're talking about taking it quarter by quarter, but can playing with emotion in this situation help, and how do you balance that?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I mean, it's quarter by quarter for sure. I think there's a sweet spot in the emotion because we know we're coming into tomorrow excited, we want to win in front of our home crowd, finish it here, but we can't come in too high because we know they're coming in desperate.

We've just got to stay even keel, which I think our team does a good job of doing. Even if the first few minutes don't go our way, we tend to steady out over the course of a game and find our groove.

It's going to be ups and downs tomorrow. We know it's going to be a crazy game. They're going to come out firing on all cylinders, but if we just stay together and keep our head down, there's going to be stretches during the game where we're just flowing.

That's how it's been all series. We go on big runs, we have been up big, even the game we lost. They didn't all start good. We just got to stay steady out there.

Q. Role players typically tend to play better at home, but you guys are able to completely take away Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, a lot of their guys around Jimmy. Pretty good game in Game 4. How important is that going to be tomorrow night for you guys just limiting the other guys around Bam and Jimmy?

AARON GORDON: I mean, it's really important. We need to play a sound, solid defensive game tomorrow to come out of here with a win. It needs to be disciplined, not break down, and not let some of the other guys get going. It's important. It's crucial.

Q. For both of you, because it's an individual thing, but in terms of Coach Malone, what is it that clicks best for you in the way he goes about his job and relating to you, whether it's motivating or just using you strategically? Curious what each of you thinks about him.

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I think one thing that I really respect about Coach Malone is just that he's consistent in how he is. Like he hasn't coached us any different, tried to motivate us any different than he has all season. Coach Malone is very competitive.

Even game 82, I think we played against Utah, I'm pretty sure, but he was just as -- I think we lost that game. He was just as upset about losing that game as he would a game right now.

So he's very consistent in his approach and the way he coaches us individually and as a team. Like I can respect that, and I think that's one thing that I see from him.

AARON GORDON: Yeah, I think Mike said it best. He's competitive. He's a straight competitor. It doesn't matter if we're up 20 or down 20. He's going to be on us either way.

Q. Aaron, I know you talk about how much you want this, but can you feel how bad the city of Denver and the fans want it?

AARON GORDON: I know they want it bad, but we want it bad, too. I don't think anybody wants it badder than we want it.

Q. Sticking with the coaching staff, with DA [David Adelman], I know he didn't get a head coaching job this offseason, or in this coaching cycle. How important has he been in this run for you guys? How valuable is he for both of you guys and your games?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: Yeah, I think DA personally, I think he's an offensive wizard in my opinion just because he's shown us on film -- like showing us what's going to happen next game, and when we go and execute what he's showing us, it works out for us every time.

We struggled with the Miami Heat's zone a couple games and he was showing us what to get into, what to do. Then Christian had that big game, all off cuts and just following what DA was saying.

So I think offensively there's not much better that I've seen as far as offense, and that's why I think we have one of the best offenses historically. I think that's a big reason why.

We love him over here, and if he didn't leave to go get a head coaching job, that's good for us.

Q. For Aaron, with the timing of when you came to the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Malone in particular had been here for a while before you joined the team. Did you feel like you were walking into something that was already established or did you feel like you had some ownership in making this team into what it is?

AARON GORDON: Yeah, I mean, they had MPJ, Mal, Jok, Paul Millsap. We had dogs on this team already. It was kind of just like I felt like the missing piece a little bit. When I got traded here, I feel like we were on our way to a championship that year, and then a couple injuries happened and we don't get it.

But now I feel like we're here, and the team is put together, the pieces all fit, and now you can see the puzzle.

Q. You guys are so close, and you're going to see that Larry O'Brien Trophy. What's that trophy mean to you?

MICHAEL PORTER JR: I think as a young basketball player, this is what you -- this is like the pinnacle of what you want to get to. I think any championship, whether it's high school, college, they all mean a lot, but to win a championship against the best players in the world, we've already played against some of the best players in the world in this playoff run on our way to be here, so to get this trophy, it's like a big thing you check off the list.

Like this is probably the biggest thing you could check off the list as a basketball player. I think we all kind of feel that way.

Q. The three-point line for them has obviously been a big swing factor in this series. What are you keying on when you're looking at trying to get them out of that line? How do you evaluate how you've done the last couple of games on it?

AARON GORDON: Well, just not breaking down on defense. I think in the one game where they shot a lot of threes and made a lot of threes, we had far too many breakdowns. I think if we execute the defensive game plan, we'll be fine.