Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:

NBA Insider

Bad luck is striking at a bad time for Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets.

Porter shouldered the blame for a key turnover late in Denver’s 105-102 loss in Game 2 on Monday and did so with an aching joint.

“I made a stupid play after I got the rebound. Trying to make up for it, and someone landed on my shoulder,” Porter said.

“It’s just a joint sprain, so it’s nothing too serious. Hopefully, I can do what I can do to heal it up.”

With the game tied at 100 in the final 2 minutes, Porter and Christian Braun teamed up to force Kawhi Leonard into a rare miss. Porter grabbed his 15th rebound and looked to make an outlet pass but fumbled the ball.

Denver’s starting small forward dove on the court in an attempt to resecure possession. Not only did Porter’s left shoulder take the brunt of the fall, the ball bounced to Norman Powell who hit a go-ahead 3 with the Nuggets playing five-on-four as Porter remained on the court in pain.

“I feel like it was on me with that turnover,” Porter said.

“I just feel like that was the biggest turnover of the game. Every game is so serious in the playoffs. I just had to tell my guys, ‘My fault.’ That was my mistake.”

Up until the painful turnover, it was a bounce-back game from Porter. He hit a clutch 3-pointer that tied the game with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points on 11 shots. After being benched at the end of an ineffective showing in Game 1, until the injury it looked like Porter would close Game 2. His ability to stretch the floor was especially important due to the number of defenders the Clippers threw at Nikola Jokic throughout the game.

“He was better tonight,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said after.

“Obviously, Michael really stretches the floor, and the way that they were guarding, bringing three and four people to one side of the court, we have to find a way to make Mike an impact player in those situations, if they’re willing to leave and rotate. We can do better looking at the tape. I thought we did a better job in Game 1. In Game 2, they made adjustments, and we have to look at it and find a way to make Mike an impactful player if that’s how they’re going to guard.”

Porter’s availability for Thursday’s Game 3 will come down to how quickly his shoulder heals, but that’s not the only discomfort he’s been experiencing. A few weeks ago, the brace Porter wears to help with his drop foot broke. Now is not the best time to break in a new one.

“The one I’ve been trying to get used to, a new one, none of them seem to fit right. It’s just affecting my movement, and I’m not used to them. I haven’t been as confident in my movements since that one broke,” Porter said.

“It’s the worst time to deal with it, but this is my path that I’m trying to work through. I can’t help it, but it’s definitely been affecting me on the court.”

What I’m thinking

Scheme only goes so far in the playoffs.

It was clear what the Nuggets and Clippers wanted to do late in Game 1. Denver sent a second defender at James Harden to force the Clippers’ leading scorer to give up the ball. Los Angeles sent a third in an attempt to disrupt Denver’s two-man game between Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. In Game 2, Denver had to do the same with Kawhi Leonard, who cooked the Nuggets with 39 points on 19 shots.

When the Nuggets commit two to the ball, it’s on the rest of the outnumbered defenders to make up the strategy work with action.

“It was a very high-level AAU game there for a while. It was just like pressing and trapping all over the court in a way,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said of Game 1 Sunday.

“You’re just relying on effort, fly-around (mentality) and trust. When you have guys this skilled in this series — Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray … James (Harden), Kawhi (Leonard) — it does come down to effort. After you take the ball out of their hands, can you fly around and make multiple-effort plays to win a playoff game?”

—Someone must help Nico Harrison with media training. The Mavericks’ general manager continued to dig his hole by saying he was unaware how much Luka Doncic meant to Mavericks fans before trading the franchise’s best player to the Lakers. Come on, man.

What I’m following

—Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard is in the midst of a remarkable recovery. He’s been out since March 18 after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf. A little more than a month later, Lillard was available for the Bucks’ Game 2 against Indiana on Tuesday.

—Celtics star Jayson Tatum landed hard on his right wrist during Boston’s win over Orlando on Sunday, but X-rays were negative. Tatum said he was “all right.” Boston listed him as doubtful for Wednesday’s Game 2.

—Atlanta didn’t wait long after its season ended to make a move. The Hawks fired general manager Landry Fields and promoted Onsi Saleh to fill the void.

What they’re saying

Jamal Murray said his dustup with Norman Powell in Game 2 was nothing more than a part of playoff basketball.

“Just competing, man. I have nothing against Norman, man. He has nothing against me. We’re just competing. We got into it for a second. We’re good, though,” Murray said.

“You can look at any basketball that’s been played in the playoffs. It’s going to be like that. … We have nothing against each other. We respect each other. We just didn’t like what we both did on the court, and that’s fair.”

—Clippers coach Tyronn Lue complimented Adelman for his in-game adjustments in Game 1. The Nuggets’ interim coach returned the favor Sunday.

“He’s been incredible at it for years. I look up to that. I also look up to his disposition of how he coaches the game. There’s a calmness to him. I think when you’re calm, you can make creative decisions at a higher level instead of just freaking out,” Adelman said.

“Being calm in those moments with your staff to make the right decision is huge. That’s why he’s been one of the best coaches in our league for a long time. I’ve looked up to him for a long time. This is weird and crazy to compete against him in the Playoffs. … It’s cool he said that, because (I have) the utmost respect for him.”

The List

Sweeps are in play for the top-seeded Thunder and Cavaliers. Here are the three non-Nuggets series that have our attention:

1. No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves

Minnesota made a statement and snatched home-court privileges with a 117-95 win in Game 1 in Los Angeles. Luka Doncic scored 37 points. LeBron James added 19, but it wasn’t enough thanks to 20-point games from Jaden McDaniels (25), Naz Reid (23) and Anthony Edwards.

2. No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 Warriors

Golden State’s playoff experience was most evident in the second quarter Sunday night, and it helped the Warriors win on Houston’s home-court, but the Rockets didn’t back down.

3. No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons

Both games featured thrilling finishes with each team taking a game. If the Pistons have shown one thing this season it’s they’re not going down without a fight — sometimes literally.