Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reflected on their Game 2 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He noted his team's struggles but also singled out Torrey Craig as the unsung hero of the game.

Per NBA TV, Malone believes that his team didn't have the presence of mind to drive to the hoop knowing that shots weren't falling all night long. From his point of view, it was the Trail Blazers — who also struggled — that had that aggressive mindset to drive hard instead of settling for outside shots. Despite this, Malone commended his team for fighting and called out Craig who, despite a broken nose, returned and finished the game.

“I think Torrey Craig is the unsung hero of this game.”

In the first minute of the second quarter, as Craig jumped up to try and get a rebound, he received an elbow to the face and landed on the leg of a teammate — the latter is seen as the cause of the injury. He was assisted by the Nuggets staff was blood came oozing out of his nose.

The diagnosis was a nasal contusion and his initial status was questionable. However, come the third quarter, the 28-year-old returned wearing a protective mask a cotton stuffed into his nose. He received a standing ovation and jeers from the crowd. Though he seemed unaffected, we can safely assume that he felt the love from the Denver crowd.