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“It’s just unacceptable. Especially with the talent we have on this roster,” Braun said. “I think when we come here every single year, we talk about championships. That’s our mindset and our goal. And obviously, we fell short. A first-round exit’s not acceptable. We’ve gotta bounce back. We’ve gotta get to work. … You can kind of put it on my shoulders. I think this team wasn’t resilient enough in the playoffs.” When asked to elaborate, he said the lack of resilience was a reflection of him. “I just think I’m the leader of this team,” Braun said. “I’m the vocal leader of this team. And when we don’t play well as a whole, you can blame whatever you want … You can blame anything. But I didn’t play well enough as an individual, and I didn’t have this team ready enough to play in a tough series. So we’ll be better. I’ll be better. I’m looking forward to next year, when we can respond.”
Braun missed 38 games during the regular season after suffering a severe left ankle sprain on Nov. 12. He initially tried to return on Jan. 4, but after struggling for three games, it was clear he wasn’t ready. He was able to run. He wasn’t able to jump. He went back on the shelf for another three weeks, then spent the rest of the season growing accustomed to a routine of postgame treatment on the ankle. He had torn the ligaments on the inside and outside of it. It was the first serious injury of his basketball career. It continued to swell up during the playoffs. Meanwhile, he also sustained an injury and developed swelling in his left calf in Game 1 against the Timberwolves, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation. It exacerbated Braun’s inability to explode off the ground — his left leg is the one he usually pushes off of when he jumps.
Christian Braun will be entering the first season of a five-year, $125 million deal that, if Denver is honest, likely carries some buyer’s remorse. Braun hasn’t been the same since a November sprain to his left ankle, and right now, it’s not hard to imagine the Nuggets’ brass kicking themselves for offering an extension to Braun, and not Watson, last summer.
Bennett Durando: Christian Braun: "Just an embarrassing first four games of the series." "We've just gotta show up in Game 5 and play well in front of our crowd. We owe that to them. We owe that to them to show up and play well."
Brendan Vogt: I’ll say this for Christian Braun. He stood up and spoke for the team when he probably shouldn’t have had to more than once. Everyone has to wear this. But he was left out there to do a leader’s job.
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Anthony Slater: Christian Braun on the Jaden McDaniels comments roasting the Nuggets defenders by name: “It’s part of the rivalry…He’s kinda speaking his truth and what he believes. We’ll allow them to do that. We kinda want to take care of our own.”
Bennett Durando: Nikola Jokic is questionable for tomorrow’s game against San Antonio. The other four starters, Tim Hardaway Jr. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones are all out. Jokic has to play 15 minutes to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson is expected to return Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers after missing more than six weeks due to a hamstring strain, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Saturday. Watson's return would mark the first time the Nuggets have had their full roster available since early in the season. Several players, including three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun, have all missed extended time this year.
Adelman said Denver’s third quarter was “arguably one of our best five quarters of the year.” Jamal Murray — 11 for 21 overall, 3 of 4 from 3-point land — led the Nuggets with 30 points. But it was Christian Braun who lit Denver’s fire. He scored 19 points, making eight of nine shots, including three 3-pointers in four attempts. “I think we jelled pretty well tonight,” said Braun, who is starting to look like he’s close to 100% healthy as he recovers from the ankle injury that’s cost him 36 games this season. “As long as we get on the same page before the playoffs is what matters,” Braun continued.
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!["Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] …](https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/gcdn/content-pipeline-sports-images/sports2/nba/players/1067856.png?format=png8&auto=webp&quality=85,75&width=140)
Gilgeous-Alexander received the ball near the half-court logo, with Denver's Spencer Jones on his left hip. Gilgeous-Alexander surveyed the floor as he took a few dribbles to the right wing, recognizing that Christian Braun was positioned to help on a drive. Gilgeous-Alexander created just enough space with a step-back move to his right to launch the winner over Jones' outstretched hand, a close facsimile of the dagger Gilgeous-Alexander drilled in Saturday's win over the Golden State Warriors. "Just trusting my work, first and foremost, and then just reading the defense," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was 14-of-21 from the floor. "Obviously, they were sending two [defenders] basically the whole second half, and I knew if I wanted to get an attempt late, I would have to go quick, go fast. And the deeper I drove, the more bodies would come. Yeah, kind of had no choice."
Bennett Durando: Christian Braun on Shai: “He busted my ass tonight. ... That last game, I knew I played well and got a block in a big moment. Tonight, he made the shot in a big moment. He made a couple of them. So I know that I’m gonna play him again. I’m gonna play him in the playoffs.”
Nuggets shooting guard Christian Braun missed 37 games earlier this season with a severe ankle sprain with torn ligaments. Multiple Nuggets sources were cautiously optimistic after the game Friday that Murray had suffered a more mild sprain, but the team was still waiting to get more thorough test results over the weekend, one source said. “It sucks to see him go down,” Braun said. “But just for the team, it felt like we got all the guys back, and pregame I thought our vibe was really good. We were excited to see AG get back and the starting lineup play together again. And it seems like we played, what, 12 minutes? Or whatever it was together. So it sucks for ‘Mal. It sucks to watch.” “This has just been insane,” Adelman said. “Every time we get somebody back, I feel like that game, somebody else goes out.”
Q. What did you learn playing with Russell Westbrook? Christian Braun: Oh man, talk about like a relentless work ethic. That's probably the biggest thing. I think for me with Russ early on obviously there's pressure playing with Russ, same pressure playing with Jokic. I watched him growing up obviously cuz he was in OKC and then getting to know him up close and watching him work and then in a sense I told people my family this too, and I think I've told Russ this, but like playing with Russ especially when I was starting and Russ was sixth man, I knew every single day, every single game if I didn't bring it, there's a chance coach Mo would play Russ, and he would close the game. And I knew that. And so like that that really like pushed me every night. And like I said, I didn't want to miss games cuz if you miss a game and Russ slides in, there's a really good chance he has a triple double and you don't get your spot back. So I'm out there like, I need to play tonight, you know? And so I definitely thank Russ, even just having Russ behind you, it's pushing you. You got to be your best cuz no matter what every single night Russ is going to be no matter. He obviously is another big part of my career indirectly, and I don't even know if he knows that, but indirectly Russ helped me out a lot last year.
