Nuggets' Christian Braun Stays Wildly Confident After Game 3 Blowout

The Denver Nuggets were punched in the mouth in their Game 3 matchup vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves in a night where nothing appeared to be going right on either end of the floor.

Now, the Nuggets are faced with their backs against the wall in Game 4 for what's virtually a must-win game. Being on the wrong side of a 3-1 deficit tends to be a death sentence for any team in the postseason, and especially for most series that have looked like this one up until now.

Though despite the pressure that now sits on the Nuggets' shoulders, those inside the building, such as Christian Braun, don't appear to be breaking much of a sweat for what Game 4, or their road ahead, has to offer.

“We obviously understand the importance of Game 4," Braun said, via Katy Winge of Altitude TV. "You don't want to go home going down 3-1, so we need to get a win. Everybody kind of understands that. And this is a mature team. This is a team that's been there. This is a team that's won a championship."

"There's a lot of dudes that have won a championship: Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon. A lot of guys that have been there, and a lot of guys that have won a lot of games. There is no panic inside our locker room. I know there is panic outside of the locker room.“

https://t.co/720NGWoMyb pic.twitter.com/RU2TWZble0
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) April 24, 2026

Nuggets Remain Confident Despite Brutal Game 3 Showing

For the track record that the Nuggets have and their championship pedigree that still remains within the key fibers of this roster, Braun's confidence might come with good reason.

If Denver can get back on track in Game 4, go back to the Mile High with the series tied 2-2 and navigate their way to homecourt advantage once again, then a lot of the outside concerns encircling this Nuggets roster can be quickly silenced.

But based on the showing Denver just put together in Minnesota, there's a lot that has to right in a short amount of time that simply didn't on Thursday.

Apr 8, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) and guard Bruce Brown (11) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

One factor that turned out to be a brutal blow for Denver from the start was the sudden loss of Aaron Gordon, who would miss the game with a calf injury sustained in Game 2, and left the Nuggets without a major edge of versatility and defensive upside that can help this team on any given night.

Being without Peyton Watson, a similarly versatile and impactful piece in the frontcourt, only makes those worries exponentially worse, and thus relies on Denver's number-one offense to shoulder the load for however much longer each guy has to miss.

Though that process to move back to regular season form in terms of their offensive production just hasn't turned around like it needs to.

Denver has shot under 30% from three as a team in both of their latest losses. Nikola Jokic hasn't been producing like his MVP self, and when those factors combine into one, it's a real challenge to overcome the physicality and toughness Minnesota has presented so far.

It's now or never for the Nuggets as they've now got a major Game 4 on deck. But according to Braun, there's no concerns stemming from the inside for what their fate might be just yet.

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