'It's Hard To Play In Colorado': Kevin Porter Jr. Credits Altitude For Rockets Loss To Nuggets
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Kevin Porter Jr. had a mediocre performance during the Houston Rockets' 129-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets Monday night inside Ball Arena. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, six assists and four rebounds.
The Rockets played a competitive first half before the Nuggets began to pull away during the third quarter. Behind 16 points from Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets outscored Houston 36-23 during the period. According to Porter, the Rockets ran out of energy due to Denver's high altitude.
"We exerted a lot of energy in the third quarter," Porter said. "With the altitude, it's hard to play in Colorado. It came into a factor, and we ran out of gas."
Porter said he feels the effects of the altitude each time he plays in Denver while describing it as "challenging." His struggles are well-documented, as he has averaged 9.0 points on 27.9 percent shooting from the field in three career games in Denver.
Porter believes the Rockets will have a better performance Wednesday night to close their two-game mini-series against the Nuggets. The extra days of practice in Denver would give the team a chance to get accustomed to the high elevation.
"Having more control of your wind helps," Porter said. "With us staying here, it gives us a chance to get comfortable. We will have more pep in our step for the second game."
As a result of his third-quarter eruption, Jokic finished with a game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 18 points and seven rebounds.
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