Coach Michael Malone wants Michael Porter Jr. to shoot early and often. So he did. Porter scored 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the Nuggets’ 112-90 victory over the offensively-challenged Orlando Magic Thursday night at Ball Arena.

The Denver Nuggets have been quiet off the court as the trade deadline approaches, but their play on the court has been very loud. On Wednesday night, the Nuggets won their fourth game in a row with a dominant second half to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 144-119.

Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth had big plans at the trade deadline in the form of acquiring another frontcourt player. It didn’t work out.

For the second consecutive season, the Nuggets made no changes to their active roster at the NBA trade deadline. Denver canvassed the league looking for an upgrade to its bench this week and was open to a frontcourt or backcourt acquisition,

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic shared a straightforward message for NBA players ahead of the trade deadline. The NBA has been buzzing with activity in recent days. Following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis,