Jamal Murray scored 21 out of his 24 points in the 4th quarter as the Denver Nuggets evened their series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Murray, who shot just 8-23 from the field in game 1, missed his first 8 shots in game 2. The Nuggets trailed by as much as 19 points in the 3rd quarter before Murray's comeback.
Michael Malone said he believed in Murray despite his early playoff struggles.
"I was going with him. He needs this. This is so important for all of our guys, but especially Jamal. You know, a young player, third year. Even though he was out there struggling, he was trying to play the right way. I didn't foresee the fourth quarter he was going to have, but I knew in my heart he needed to get these minutes. I needed to show him I believed in him. That's powerful. If I pull him -- 'Does coach really believe in me? Does he have my back.' So I had to stay with Jamal make or miss, because he's our guy, and I care about him. He came through in a big way, and never once did I think about pulling him from the lineup," said Malone.