With just two hours to go before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the mural artist Detour painted Michael Porter Jr.’s teeth ice-blue.

In what is beginning to look like Denver’s own version of Mt. Rushmore, Detour — aka Thomas Evans — flirted with oncoming rainstorms to get Porter’s mound of black hair on the top of his head just right. The mural is on Colfax Avenue and Race Street.

“The weather is part of the gig of public art. The paint almost dries to the touch a couple of seconds after you put it on there,” Evans said.

His earbuds were splotched with the same color blue as Porter’s teeth in mid-howl. He pulls fuchia, neon green, marigold yellows and cobalt blue from boxes of spray paint cans in a box next to him in the grit of the alley by the 7-Eleven store.

Evans has plans and the room on the concrete wall to add Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Christian Braun, head coach Mike Malone and “the championship trophy after we win.” Already on the mural are a profile Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray striking his arrow pose and Aaron Gordon in mid-dunk.

“This sure beats ugly graffiti!” yelled Sherry Fiddler as she walked her dog past the 50-foot wall.

Droves of fans have stopped for selfies, family pictures and ones of their cars in front of the colorful mural.

On the sideline watching was Eric Jones, who works construction along Colfax Avenue and has watched the mural-in-progress.

“It makes a huge difference. There’s not a lot of positives going on down here on East Colfax,” said Jones with a nod to the filthy sidewalks in front of the convenience store, which is adjacent to Detour’s art.

Jones said that before the mural went up, drug users would to prop themselves up along the wall of the abandoned building.

“People usually get high and hang out here. But this is something nice. Something good,” said Jones, who admitted he is a Nuggets “bandwagoner.”

Chris Hersey made a beeline from his job at the Veteran’s Affairs office to take a photo.

“This is glorious!” he said. “It means a lot. It represents the city.”

Detour’s work exploded even before the Nuggets mural got the attention of local media and even the New York Times. He was recently awarded a contract to sculpt an art piece at Denver International Airport made entirely of multi-colored donated luggage. The work, which symbolizes the journey of life, will be finished in Spring 2025 and will be displayed in the B-East concourse.

Evans said he’s not aware that any of the Nuggets have been by to see his work, but he hopes they will.

“They’ve been busy,” he said.