Coach Michael Malone wants Michael Porter Jr. to shoot early and often. So he did. Porter scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the Nuggets’ 112-90 victory over the offensively-challenged Orlando Magic Thursday night at Ball Arena.

Michael Porter Jr. has kept his focus on swishing shots, not the swirling trade rumors. He’s tuned them out, in fact, and turned up his game. On Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets' sharpshooting forward tied a career high with 39 points in a 144-119 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Denver Nuggets have been quiet off the court as the trade deadline approaches, but their play on the court has been very loud. On Wednesday night, the Nuggets won their fourth game in a row with a dominant second half to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 144-119.