Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has missed the past two games with an illness and in the meantime, the Nets have lost their last two games in disappointing fashion. Brooklyn has lost their previous two games by an average of 22 points per game without Porter, but it looks like the former Missouri Tiger is likely to be back in the lineup.

The Nets announced on Saturday that Porter is probable for Sunday’s game against his former team in the Denver Nuggets, meaning that his illness-related absence could be short-lived. With Porter out of the rotation for the past two games, Brooklyn has only been able to put up an average of 97.5 points per game, significantly less than their league-worst 108.9 points per game that they’ve averaged so far this season.

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With Porter out of the lineup, the Nets have had to find ways to field the best starting lineup possible as guards Egor Demin, Cam Thomas, and Terance Mann along with center Nic Claxton have one of those two games along with Porter. The results on both ends of the floor, especially defensively, have not been what Brooklyn has been putting forth if December is any indication of what this team can be at its best.

Claxton remains out of the rotation due to personal reasons, meaning that backup center Day’Ron Sharpe should see his second straight start of the season. In his first start in Friday’s 119-99 loss at the Washington Wizards, Sharpe put up 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 30 minutes on the floor, a little over 13 minutes more than his average playing time of 16.7 minutes per contest.

Despite Claxton and forward Haywood Highsmith being out of the lineup, the Nets are still keeping Ben Saraf on his G League assignment in Long Island so it looks like he won’t have a chance for some NBA minutes against a injury-riddled Nuggets team. If everything goes well, Porter will be able to return for Brooklyn following a two-game absence and he’ll be able to show his former team what he can do in a bigger role.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. (illness) probable Sunday vs. Nuggets