So much for Michael Porter Jr.’s shooting slump.

After going 1 for 10 from 3-point range in Monday’s loss, a performance that dropped him to 28.7% in March heading into Wednesday’s game against Milwaukee, Porter made 6 of 8 attempts from deep and finished with 23 points. Porter made the first five 3s he attempted and scored 20 of his points in the first half.

“Michael’s a really key part to this team,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “When he gets going like that, and you know what you’re getting in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, we become a really tough team to guard.”

Denver’s starting small forward didn’t score again until the final 70 seconds. After Milwaukee closed within three with just over two minutes to go, Jokic found Peyton Watson for a dunk. Then, Murray, who encouraged Porter to keep shooting after Monday’s game, made a cross-court pass to Porter, who put the Nuggets up eight from the right wing.

“We’ve never lost confidence in Mike’s ability to shoot the ball,” Murray said in the postgame locker room.

“One of the best shooters doesn’t just lose his shot over one game. Obviously tonight, you saw him stroking it.”

Porter started Wednesday listed as questionable for the night’s game due to a low-back strain, but he said it was actually a hamstring issue that’s been bothering him for a few weeks.

“It was more hamstring,” Porter said. “Ever since I strained my hamstring before All-Star break, I haven’t really felt, I would say, 100% in that hamstring. It was just a little tight, but it was something I could play through.”

The goal, Porter said, is to be 100% by the start of the playoffs. He admitted he probably should’ve taken a few games off but wanted to be available with teammates out of the lineup. The shot did suffer as a result.

“It was good to make some 3-pointers, be up and down on my shot,” Porter said. “I feel like my balance has been off a little bit ever since that hamstring. I feel like I’m leaning a little bit to one side, and you know, it’s throwing me off a little bit.”

The 26-year-old went through his pregame routine before a determination was made on his availability and ended the night with 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Nuggets won the 34 minutes he played by 11 points. Jokic led the Nuggets with 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Christian Braun added 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Murray (17) and Watson (12) also scored in double figures.

Brook Lopez led seven Bucks in double figures with 26 points.

Porter’s first miss came on a free throw in the middle of the second quarter. He already had 19 points at that point. Porter didn’t miss his first attempt from the field until the middle of the third quarter. He missed again before he hit that shot that essentially sealed Denver’s win.

“We knew that he had not been shooting the way we’ve become accustomed to seeing him, and I had zero doubt that he would find his rhythm, because he’s too good of a shooter,” Malone said. “It was great for him to get off to that start.”

NUGGETS 127, BUCKS 117

What happened: Denver led by 11 after the first quarter, but Milwaukee closed within 67-65 at halftime. The Nuggets got the lead back to eight by the start of the fourth and pulled away late to improve to 46-28.

What went right: The Nuggets made their first five attempts from 3-point range and finished the first quarter 7 for 11. Both teams finished 16 of 37 from 3-point range.

What went wrong: Aaron Gordon couldn’t stay on the court in the first half. He picked up his second foul 3 minutes and 18 seconds in the first quarter and was called for his third 12 seconds into the second quarter. Gordon played just under 19 minutes due to the early foul trouble and lack of rhythm.

Highlight of the night: Nikola Jokic’s driving dunk in the first half was plenty impressive, but no play encapsulated his brilliance like his assist to Aaron Gordon early in the third quarter. Just when it looked like Jokic was going to post up Kyle Kuzma, he flipped a no-look pass over his shoulder and hit Gordon for an uncontested dunk that put Denver up eight.

Up next: The Nuggets host Utah on Friday at Ball Arena.