This time Porter Jr. dropped 30 points and hit a new accolade despite taking the 119-111 loss to Dallas.
Michael Porter Jr. spent the day before facing Dallas addressing his Brooklyn Nets future. He let it be known he's committed to staying with the franchise.
He proved his commitment -- carrying the scoring load with 34 points. But his Nets fell to the Mavericks 119-111 down in American Airlines Center.
Porter told New York Post Nets beat writer Brian Lewis that the Nets "appreciates" what he brings to the floor. Yet dropped this stirring quote involving his Nets future.
"I don’t know their long-term plans; that’s above my pay grade…" Porter said. "But I’d love to be here."
Porter indeed is showing general manager Sean Marks and head coach Jordi Fernandez that he can lead this team, plus handle the scoring mantle. However, there are still theories that Porter may not last with the Eastern Conference franchise.
"I don't know how much longer the Nets can keep Michael Porter Jr. on this roster if they're truly committed to tanking. He's playing like a legitimate All-Star," Nets reporter for ClutchPoints Erik Slater posted on the social media website X, formerly known as Twitter.
Porter delivered his fourth consecutive 30+ point performance -- now the best mark by a Nets player since Kyrie Irving back in 2023 (Irving hit six straight games).
But he witnessed a Nets team collapsing late in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn once was tied at 110-all before Dallas ended the night on a 9-1 run.
"We had a couple of turnovers late that were pretty bad," Porter stated postgame in addressing what went wrong in the end. "I got to make a better pass. Then they had the rebounds to make the second chance points."
But he added how there were "good screens" and misdirection plays that freed him up scoring wise -- leading to his big night. Still, "we didn't get the looks we wanted."
And Porter isn't receiving the consistent help he deserves as he takes the scoring mantle. More so from the starters. Rookie Danny Wolf finished second in scoring with 17 off the bench. Porter was one of four starters who reached double figures...yet no one surpassed the 14-point mark.
Nic Claxton dropped 14 on the evening while Terance Mann (12) and Noah Clowney (11) added to the scoring. But again, Brooklyn is lacking a second 20-point scoring option next to Porter.
Porter could still get moved, which allows his next team to take on his massive $38.3 million salary. Or, general manager Sean Marks can get bold and try to find a proven scorer next to Porter ahead of the trade deadline. Regardless, Porter continues to carry the load amid questions surrounding his own Brooklyn future.