As the Denver Nuggets try to figure out what went wrong in their Game 7 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals, Michael Porter Jr. blames himself.

Porter told reporters he had a “terrible series” and apologized to his teammates for his performance.

“I’m a better player than I was in this series,” the Nuggets forward said. “I shoot better than I did in this series. In the NBA, you must be able to separate off-court issues from on-court play. So I have no excuses. I apologized to my teammates. “I feel like this is my fault.”

Porter admitted he was thinking about off-court events involving three of his younger brothers, but “that’s still no excuse” for his performance. On April 17, Jontay Porter earned a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating league gambling regulations.

Jevon Porter was arrested in Missouri on April 26 on charges of DWI. Coban Porter was sentenced to six years in jail after killing a lady in a drunk-driving accident on January 22, 2023.

Michael Porter Jr. was held to fewer than ten points in five of his seven games against Minnesota. He shot just 37.1 percent from the field in the series, including 4-of-21 from three-point range in the final four games.

The 25-year-old performed admirably for the Nuggets in the first round. In five games versus the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent from three.

Denver dropped the final two games against the Timberwolves, beginning with a 115-70 setback in Game 6. Following that, they blew a 20-point third-quarter lead at home in Game 7, losing 98-90.

The loss assured that there would be no repeat NBA champion for the sixth straight season. This is the longest stretch in the league since 2003-2008.