CHARLOTTE — Less than five minutes into the second quarter here Thursday night, Nuggets coach Michael Malone made a substitution to put two of his starters back in the game, and rookie Michael Porter Jr. took it as a sign.

He shuffled to his left, further away from the scorer’s table, until he arrived at the last seat on the Nuggets’ bench. Slowly, he began to button up his warmup sweats, evidently aware that Malone didn’t intend on playing him against the Hornets.

By the third quarter, Porter’s seat unchanged, veteran Paul Millsap strategically sat himself next to the celebrated rookie.

“We keep all that stuff between us,” Millsap said, careful not to reveal what was said between the two. “We talk. He understands.”

Porter didn’t play in the Nuggets’ dramatic 114-112 win over the Hornets, his first healthy scratch since the Nuggets were in Brooklyn on Dec. 8.

“I think (it’s) for the betterment, for himself, I think it’s good for him because he knows we need him, and if he’s not locked in, the team struggles,” Millsap said. “We need him locked in. I think he’s understanding it, and he’s taking it a little bit better than he would, per se, at the beginning of the year, but still a work in progress, and he’s still learning.”

Malone said the decision was about defense, where the Nuggets have struggled mightily since late February. In the seven games since the All-Star break, Denver owns the 27th-ranked defense in the entire league.

It’s why Torrey Craig, despite getting a did-not-play in Tuesday’s loss to Golden State, earned the lion’s share of the minutes at the backup small forward spot Thursday. Craig played well, adding nine points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

“It’s nothing that Michael Porter did or did not do,” Malone said. “This was a matter of us having the 27th-ranked defense since the All-Star break and arguably our best defensive player was a DNP last game. Right after helping us beat Toronto with 17 points and great defense on (Pascal) Siakam and (Kyle) Lowry off the bench. So it’s just me trying to find a way to insert some defense into the game.

“I thought Torrey had a good impact,” Malone continued. “This is not to say that Michael won’t play against Cleveland (Saturday). He’s just gotta stay with us. The reality is this: we were a 54-win team last year and we’re a team that has high aspirations this year. And yes, we want to develop Michael Porter, but we also have to find ways to win. And tonight, I just went with a group that I felt was going to give us the best chance to win. And so Mike’s just gotta stay engaged and stay ready, and I have no doubt he will.”

One teammate ensuring that he does remain engaged and doesn’t check out is Craig, his good friend, who’s gotten minutes that could’ve been allotted to Porter. Before the players turned back to their respective benches ahead of the start of the third quarter, Craig found Porter near the free-throw line. He offered words of encouragement.

“I just try to make sure that he has the right head space, not let it affect him in a negative way,” Craig said. “I even say we should play together some time for a big lineup. Anything to encourage him.”

Craig can commiserate. After helping blast the Raptors on Sunday, Craig was relegated to the bench in an effort to give Porter time. But Porter struggled in those minutes (1 for 6 from the field, two rebounds) in a loss to the Warriors, and the Nuggets’ defense continued to slide. That’s what led to Malone’s decision Thursday.

“His head’s good, he’s in a great spot, he understands, and he’s still going to get a chance to play,” Craig said. “This is not me vs. Mike or me trying to take his minutes or he trying to take my minutes. At the end of the day, we’re teammates, and we do whatever the coach calls. It’s not up to us.”

Craig’s commitment to team is admirable considering it’s resulted in a sporadic role for him.

“You have to be unselfish, that has to be within you and you really have to believe that if you want to be successful and want things to work together as a team,” Craig said.

It’s why, despite their tricky arrangement, he’s one of Porter’s biggest fans.

“He definitely makes the team better,” Craig said. “Everything he brings to the table, his scoring, his rebounding, his playmaking skills. A team would be crazy to say that they can’t use him or he makes them not better.”