He became the first rookie since Blake …

He became the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to record at least 35 points and 10 rebounds while shooting at 75 percent or better from the field. It underscores what has been building for this moment all season: the Nuggets need Porter, just 22, at his best if they want to make a deep playoff run. “He was outstanding, obviously,” Malone said. “… my biggest disappointment with Michael in the Miami game was the rebounding. He had one rebound in that game. We’ve all grown accustomed to see Michael rebounding at an elite level, and tonight he did that. That’s who he is. He’s got tremendous size, length, he can score the ball, he’s got soft touch, he does so in a very efficient manner, but he can also rebound at a very high level, and tonight we saw all those things put together.”