Days after confrontation with Clippers, Michael Porter Jr. narrowly avoids disciplinary action

On the heels of a scuffle during Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets-LA Clippers series, Michael Porter Jr. has seemingly avoided a suspension for his part in the altercation. While Porter Jr. wasn't directly involved in the second-quarter altercation, he was seen briefly exiting the bench area before a Denver staff member pulled him back.

Technically, given that Porter Jr. exited the bench area and walked onto the court, he could have been suspended. After Game 4, however, Nuggets coach David Adelman said he wasn't expecting Porter Jr. to receive a suspension, given that he didn't get involved in the scuffle.

For his part, Porter Jr. said he wasn't aware of the specific wording of the rule, but he was glad that he didn't take more than a few steps away from the bench.

Now, ahead of a pivotal Game 5 tonight in Denver, it appears Porter Jr. has narrowly avoided a suspension.

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Per Denver's 12:30 p.m. ET injury report on Tuesday, he is probable to play with a left shoulder sprain, and the way ESPN's Ramona Shelburne sees things, the odds of a suspension coming down between now and tip-off are pretty slim.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, she broke down the wording of the NBA's rule, explaining how Porter Jr. avoided suspension:

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Odds for Game 5 tonight as Michael Porter Jr. and the Denver Nuggets look to take a 3-2 series lead

Heading into Game 5 tonight in Denver, Michael Porter Jr. and the Denver Nuggets are sitting as slight betting favorites on most major sportsbooks.

After a big overtime thriller in Game 1, the Nuggets lost Games 2 and 3 before some late-game heroics from Aaron Gordon gave them a win in Game 4.

Denver is sitting as a slight underdog despite the fact that they'll have home-court advantage.

On FanDuel, the 2023 NBA champs are sitting as -132 favorites on FanDuel, while Denver is a +112 underdog. Meanwhile, over on DraftKings, LA is a -130 favorite while Denver is a +110 underdog.

Based on the latest DraftKings lines, it would take a $130 bet on the Clippers as the favorites to win $100 on top of the original bet, while on the flip side, a $100 bet on Denver as the underdogs could win $112 on top of the original bet.

With a chance to gain an edge in the series, the stakes couldn't be higher.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Krutik Jain