There is a chair in front of Michael Porter Jr.’s locker where the artwork rests. It was a gift from teammates Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray, a reminder that there is no paved road back to an NBA title. It reads simply: “I am going to do today what others won’t, so that tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

Porter looked back at the picture Saturday night with comfort.

“I have to go hang that up at the house,” Porter said.

Porter, 25, had an awful week off the court. Wednesday, his brother Jontay, 24, a former Toronto Raptors reserve, received a lifetime ban from the NBA for allegedly betting on basketball and disclosing confidential information to bettors. Two days later, Coban, 22, a former University of Denver guard, received a six-year prison sentence for a drunken driving crash that killed a 42-year-old woman last year.

Porter missed Nuggets practice Friday to testify on Coban’s behalf, telling the judge how Coban provided a source of motivation growing up, always pushing him to work harder and get better.

“It’s not often a big brother looks up to his little brother,” Porter said.

It was against this backdrop that Porter entered the playoffs. The scrutiny only amplified because of the stakes and the opponent.

Would MPJ be able to find refuge on the court?

What unfurled suggests the playoffs will remain a continuation of the best stretch of his career. Porter delivered 19 points and eight rebounds in the Nuggets’ 114-103 Game 1 victory. He did not turn the ball over. His length and athleticism caused fits for the Lakers.

“I definitely tried to compartmentalize — some bad and sad stuff with a couple of my brothers,” Porter said. “But I’ve got, you know, 15, 16 more brothers in here. I knew I had to be here for them, and come in and do my job and prepare to do it at a high level.”

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