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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Patrick Andres

Nuggets’ Christian Braun Catches Fire in Game 3 of NBA Finals

Christian Braun Nuggets NBA Finals Kansas (Organization) Denver (Organization) Heat Jimmy Butler LinkedIn

Sometimes, in the NBA Finals, an otherwise ordinary player rises above their station to win the hearts of fans everywhere.

Think of forward Robert Horry, who averaged 10 or more points just three times in his career but repeatedly came up big for seven championship teams. Or forward Andre Iguodala, who limited LeBron James in his prime and won a Finals MVP 11 years into his career.

On Wednesday, a new name made a case for that list: rookie Nuggets guard Christian Braun.

A 4.7-point-per-game scorer in the regular season, Braun erupted for 15 critical points in Denver's 109–94 win over the Heat, propelling the Nuggets to a 2–1 series lead.

His explosion was warmly welcomed by non-Miami segments of NBA Twitter, as he served almost to overshadow an astounding performance from Denver center Nikola Jokić.

Braun repeatedly drove on Heat forward Jimmy Butler, helping the Nuggets put away Miami in the fourth quarter.

He drew comment for his unusual name, pronounced as "Brown" rather than "Brawn."

Yahoo Sports dug up his hilariously modest LinkedIn from his days at Kansas, where he won a national title in 2022.

Denver fans were absolutely enthralled.

Jayhawks fans melted with pride over their native son.

Many noted Braun's ability to shake off a few questionable plays.

All told, it was a learning experience for those outside of Lawrence, Kansas.

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