The Denver Nuggets’ path past Portland in the first round of the playoffs starts with defense.

“The thing that scares me the most is the 3-point line,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Thursday ahead of Saturday’s Game 1 at Ball Arena. “They take 42 (3-pointers) a game. They were second or third in both makes and attempts.”

That concern starts with the Trail Blazers’ backcourt led by Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Lillard’s 28.8 points per game leads Portland, while McCollum enters the postseason at 23.1 points per game. Both shoot better than 39% from deep and go about the game in different ways. Nuggets guard Monte Morris said Wednesday that Lillard’s range extends deeper, while McCollum is more adept at getting to his spots for mid-range jumpers.

“They’re similar, but different in little ways,” Morris said. “You just got to know, it’s a tough cover for both guys. You’ve got to be locked in every possession. They’re running, you know, mostly all their offense through both of those guys. If we’re able to slow down one of them, I feel like we give ourselves a great chance.”

Norman Powell gives Portland a third perimeter-shooting threat. He enters the playoffs making better than 41.1% of his 3s. Guarding that trio could mean Aaron Gordon is asked to help assist Morris, Facundo Campazzo, Austin Rivers and the rest of the guards on the defensive end.

“Now you’re playing a team that doesn’t have that elite wing, that wing that you’re so concerned about,” Malone said. “Portland’s got three elite guards that put up just unbelievable numbers every single night.”

The bad news for Denver is the defense can’t stop with a contested shot. With Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter inside, the Nuggets also have to be ready to rebound against one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding teams, according to Malone, and also deal with Carmelo Anthony, who’s scored plenty of points in Denver.

“They’re an extremely dangerous team,” Nikola Jokic said. “They have three guards that can easily score 30. They have Carmelo, who is a top-10 all-time scoring leader. They have Nurk and Kanter as really big threats down under the basket.”

Denver duo among finalists for MVP, MIP

Aaron Gordon summed up Denver’s position on Nikola Jokic’s chances in the Most Valuable Player race succinctly Thursday.

“What more needs to be said?” Gordon asked. “That’s the Most Valuable Player in the league, man. That’s the best player in the league right now.”

The sportsbooks seem to agree, and Jokic took another step Thursday. Jokic, a minus -10,000 favorite to win, was announced alongside Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Golden State’s Stephen Curry.

Michael Porter Jr. was also named as a top-three finalist in the Most Improved Player race alongside New York’s Julius Randle and former teammate Jerami Grant, who just finished an impressive first season with the Detroit Pistons. Malone guessed most voters were going with Randle a couple of weeks ago but gave props to Porter heading into the postseason.

“Even before Jamal (Murray) got hurt, Michael was playing at a really high level, and most importantly he was doing it in a very efficient manner,” Malone said. “Then, when Jamal went down (with) 18 games to go … Michael continued to step his game up even more, allowing us to go 13-5 without Jamal Murray … . Michael’s got tremendous belief in himself. He works his butt off before practice, after practice, and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity that’s been given to him. He’s still got plenty of room to grow, and these playoffs will be another opportunity for him to kind of cement his status on this team and throughout the league.”

Barton getting closer to coming back

The Nuggets could use the likes of Will Barton III and PJ Dozier against Portland, and it sounds possible Barton makes his return for Game 1. Barton has been out since April 23 with a hamstring strain, while Dozier hasn’t played since May 3 with an adductor strain.

“I think PJ is still a ways out,” Malone said Thursday. “Will Barton, you know, was able to do parts of practice yesterday and today. Those soft-tissue injuries are tough and that’s what he’s dealing with, but he’s definitely inching closer. I don’t know if he’ll be available or not come Saturday night. I’m hoping that maybe he’ll be able to, but we have to be smart with that.”

Nuggets appear to have bet wisely on the potential of Michael Porter Jr.