'It's Hard To Play In Colorado': Kevin Porter Jr. Credits Altitude For Rockets Loss To Nuggets

After falling to the Nuggets Monday night, Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. shared the challenges of playing in Denver due to the high altitude.

Kevin Porter Jr. had a mediocre performance during the Houston Rockets' 129-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets Monday night inside Ball Arena. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, six assists and four rebounds.

The Rockets played a competitive first half before the Nuggets began to pull away during the third quarter. Behind 16 points from Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets outscored Houston 36-23 during the period. According to Porter, the Rockets ran out of energy due to Denver's high altitude.

"We exerted a lot of energy in the third quarter," Porter said. "With the altitude, it's hard to play in Colorado. It came into a factor, and we ran out of gas."

Porter said he feels the effects of the altitude each time he plays in Denver while describing it as "challenging." His struggles are well-documented, as he has averaged 9.0 points on 27.9 percent shooting from the field in three career games in Denver.

Porter believes the Rockets will have a better performance Wednesday night to close their two-game mini-series against the Nuggets. The extra days of practice in Denver would give the team a chance to get accustomed to the high elevation.

"Having more control of your wind helps," Porter said. "With us staying here, it gives us a chance to get comfortable. We will have more pep in our step for the second game."

As a result of his third-quarter eruption, Jokic finished with a game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Alperen Sengun led Houston with 18 points and seven rebounds.

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