Kansas basketball alumnus Christian Braun put on a show Thursday night in a must-win game for the Denver Nuggets.
Facing a 3-2 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals, Denver needed a win to force Game 7 and stay alive in this year’s NBA Playoffs. In front of a raucous Denver crowd, Braun delivered in a big way.
Braun finished the night with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in the Nuggets’ 119-107 win. His three-pointer at the end of the first half helped the Nuggets go on a 12-0 run with two minutes remaining. He also made his presence felt on the defensive end, grabbing three steals to help create transition opportunities for the Nuggets.
In total, he played 39 minutes – the third most of any player on the floor behind teammates Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić – showing just how much Denver head coach David Adelman trusts his third-year player.
That trust certainly paid off as Braun became the youngest player in Nuggets history to record a 20/10/5/3 stat line in a playoff game. The scary thing is, he’s still scratching the surface of the player he can be. The sky is the limit for this young star.
The Nuggets will need Braun to continue his heroic ways as they travel to Oklahoma City for Game 7 on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be shown on ESPN.
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