D'Angelo Russell did not back down in the face of widespread criticism, scoring 21 points Saturday night as the Los Angeles Lakers staved off elimination in a 119-108 win over the Denver Nuggets.

"I believe in myself, it's as simple as that. More than anybody," Russell told reporters after the Game 4 victory.

Russell made eight of his 15 shots two days after a dreadful 0-of-7 outing that left him the scorn of Lakers nation. It's been a largely disappointing series for Russell, who is averaging just 14.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 37.9 percent from the field.

The struggles continue a pattern of poor play that's been prevalent throughout Russell's playoff career. He's a career 38.8 percent shooter in the postseason and has seen his scoring averages and shot percentage noticeably dip in each of the four years his teams have made the playoffs.

The Lakers could have used the regular-season version of Russell as they fell behind 3-0 to the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles has actually led most of the series but has fallen apart late in games, thanks in large part to the shortcomings of players aside from LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Russell will have to play like a third superstar for the rest of the series for the Lakers to have any real shot at becoming the first team to pull off an 0-3 comeback. Odds are his one-game improvement will be little solace for frustrated Lakers fans.