Michael Porter Jr. will not be suspended for Game 5 of Denver’s first-round playoff series after leaving the bench during a Game 4 altercation between the Nuggets and Clippers, an NBA spokesperson confirmed to The Denver Post.
Porter was technically subject to a one-game suspension after violating NBA rules Saturday, when he roamed from Denver’s bench onto the court as a shoving match broke out. But the 26-year-old forward was quickly corralled by assistant coaches, never entering the fray. One league source confirmed that when considering disciplinary action, the NBA takes into account the distance a player travels from his team’s bench and his proximity to the altercation.
In this case, Porter was stopped under his team’s basket. The altercation was taking place on the opposite side of the court. Six offsetting technical fouls were issued to the players involved in the skirmish. Nobody was ejected.
Porter apologized for leaving the bench after the game and said he didn’t know the specific rule that made him vulnerable to a one-game suspension.
The Nuggets and Clippers will tip off Game 5 at 8 p.m. MT Tuesday in a 2-2 series. Game 6 is Thursday in Los Angeles.
