Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr. holds out hope for return during series against Golden State Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO — Injured Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., is holding out hope that he can play in his team's first-round series against the Golden State Warriors.

«Right now, I'm taking it game by game. I'm not ruling anything out,» Porter told ESPN's Andscape following the Nuggets' 123-101 loss to the Warriors in Game 1 on Saturday night. «This is a thing I don't ever want to deal with again, so I'm just taking my time.… I'm playing it game by game. Every morning I wake up and I know I'm feeling good. Every day I'm getting closer.»

Porter underwent lumbar spine surgery on Dec. 1 to address a lower back injury. It was his third back surgery since November 2017, when he played for the University of Missouri. The 6-foot-10, 218-pounder appeared hampered physically this season after averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds before being sidelined. He last played for the Nuggets on Nov. 6 against the Houston Rockets.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Feb. 27 that Porter was slated to return to the lineup sometime in March. But Porter told Andscape those hopes changed after he suffered a setback in his rehabilitation a month ago.

«I was feeling pretty good. Feeling ready to go. I was ready to step back up. Just got a tiny bit sore, so I realize about a month ago that I was good, but I was pushing myself too hard to get back,» he said. «I can do anything. I have no restrictions. But when I got back to playing full speed and doing everything, that's when I just got a little sore. So, I just decided that if I feel perfect, I'm going to come back. If not, I'm going to take my time.»

When asked how his body feels now, Porter said: «I feel close to [perfect].»

The Nuggets opened their playoff series against Golden State