KANSAS

Former Jayhawk Christian Braun Makes Denver Nuggets History in Win over OKC

Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball star Christian Braun made history on Thursday night following a stellar performance to help keep the Denver Nuggets alive in the NBA Playoffs.
Dillon Davis|
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Kansas Jayhawks

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 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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Dillon Davis
DILLON DAVIS

Being a Kansas Jayhawks fan was never a choice for me. I grew up in Topeka, Kansas, surrounded by a family full of Jayhawks. I was even born during a Kansas basketball NCAA Tournament game, so I guess you could say it was fate for me to be a Jayhawk too. When it came time for me to go to college, there was only one place I applied and only one place I wanted to go – KU. I've since turned that passion into sports writing. I've written about KU sports for more than seven years and produced hundreds of KU news articles in that time. I love storytelling, I love KU and I love interacting with my fellow Jayhawks. Rock Chalk!

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