Jamal Murray stole the show yet again in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. The Denver Nuggets star was red-hot right out of the gate as he torched the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points in the opening half. However, there's no denying that Michael Porter Jr. also played a key role in Denver's 119-108 win, as the Nuggets dominated LeBron James and Co. on their own home floor en route to establishing a commanding 3-0 series lead.

After the game, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone had nothing but high praise for Porter. The Denver shot-caller singled out a key play in the fourth quarter that proved to him just how important MPJ is to the squad:

“I thought Michael Porter tonight was outstanding. That to me is a snapshot of Michael Porter’s potential greatness,” Malone said after the game, via Yahoo Sports.

“14 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and no turnovers. And one of my favorite plays of the night. He caught the ball in front of the Lakers bench, he could have shot the ball contested. He makes one more pass to Bruce Brown. Wide open corner 3. Good to great. That shows Michael’s continued maturation as a player. Very proud of the game he played tonight.”

Michael Porter Jr. didn't exactly put up Nikola Jokic video game-like numbers in this one, but his all-around play was an integral part of Denver's victory. He's clearly in Coach Malone's good graces right now, and if he keeps playing like this, then MPJ and the Nuggets could be well on their way to their first-ever NBA title in franchise history.