LOS ANGELES – The rest of the Nuggets would do well to follow Michael Porter Jr.’s lead.

“I’m locked in,” Porter said after Denver allowed the Lakers to extend the series with a 119-108 Game 4 win Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. “I’m trying to win another championship with this team, so I’m taking everything very serious off the court. I’m trying to get my rest, trying to get my recovery. I’m trying to approach the game very locked in and aggressive.”

It’s been a productive approach heading into Monday’s Game 5, another chance for the Nuggets to end the Lakers’ season. Few other members of the team can boast such consistent production. Nikola Jokic is averaging a triple-double with 29 points, 15.3 rebounds and 10 assists per game, but he’s struggling keeping Anthony Davis in check on the defensive end. Despite scoring 20 or more points in each of the first four games, Jamal Murray hasn’t cracked 40% from the field yet. Aaron Gordon starred in Game 3 but wasn’t nearly as effective in Game 4, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has defended well but failed to score more than six points in two of the first four games.

“We can’t continue to play like this. They’re not rolling over. They’re not going to give us the first-round victory,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the Nuggets failed to sweep the Lakers for a second consecutive postseason. “We’re going to have to earn it. We’re going to have to take it. Tonight, we didn’t come close to earning it or taking it. That’s why we got beat. That’s a talented team over there. They played with more desperation. They played with more urgency and more physicality.”

After dropping 27 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4, Denver’s 6-foot-10 sharpshooter is averaging 22 points and 9.5 rebounds this postseason. Porter has recorded at least 19 points and 8 rebounds in each game and has made 53.1% of his shots and 44.1% from 3-point range. The rest of the team seemingly can’t buy a bucket from deep. Removing Porter’s 4-for-11 mark from 3-point range, the rest of the team went 5 for 19 (26.3%) on Saturday. Since going 15 for 42 (35.7) in Game 1, the Nuggets have shot 23.5% in Game 1, 17.9% in Game 2 and 30% in Game 3 from deep in the three games since. That includes Porter’s production, and he hasn’t shot worse than 33% from 3 in any game.

“We are not making shots, the wide-open looks,” Jokic said postgame.

“We are creating them, so we need to still believe in our shots. Hopefully, we’re going to make some.”

Porter has played a big role in Denver’s 3-1 advantage, but he regretted a couple of timely misses as the Nuggets tried to complete another double-digit comeback. Despite the disappointing loss Saturday, the Nuggets don’t seem to be sweating the series heading into Monday’s opportunity to finish the Lakers off in five games instead of four.

“We’ll regroup tomorrow, and we’re still together. We’ll always be together. I mean, this is the playoffs, man. It’s not going to be an easy road. It’s going to be hard,” Porter said.

“We’re playing against some great players. We can’t let bumps in the road throw us off too much.”

Nuggets guard on injury report ahead of Game 5

Jamal Murray grabbed at the back of his left leg in the second half of Saturday’s Game 4 in Los Angeles.

It turns out it was a calf strain, and Murray is listed as questionable to play in Monday’s Game 5 against the Lakers. The injury did not appear to force Murray to miss any time in Saturday’s loss.

Reggie Jackson was questionable going into Game 4 with a left ankle sprain but managed to play. The veteran reserve is listed as probable for Game 5. Vlatko Cancar, who missed the entire regular season rehabbing a torn anterior cruciate ligament, is the only other Nugget listed on the injury report.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both probable for the Lakers. Los Angeles also upgraded wing Jarred Vanderbilt to questionable, while Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino remain out.