MINNEAPOLIS – Denver Nuggets wing Christian Braun dropped an impressive dunk on a four-time defensive player of the present, but he regretted the games when he left the Goal Center on Friday night.
Braun blamed himself for a party that sparked a disagreement with Minnesota Timberwolves heartthrob Rudy Gobert and said double technical fouls stopped Denver’s momentum.
“I have to be more responsible,” Braun said as the Timberwolves rallied from a 10-point deficit and the Nuggets lost 119-116. “It’s two points. Obviously, those are the plays you want to make and those are the momentum plays I want to make, but getting a tech gives them the momentum, so I have to do a better job of controlling myself.”
Braun drove down the middle of the court unwell, easily entered through the dotted layout and hit the ball with two arms despite Gobert challenging him with 5:14 too many.
Then he landed, Braun flexed his shoulders and took two large strides toward Gobert’s chest. Gobert responded by hanging his left arm around Braun’s neck and pushing him away. Players and staff from both teams, as well as officials, prevented the disagreement from escalating.
“He made a great play and there’s always a little bit of adrenaline,” Gobert said. “He stepped into my space and nothing really happened. But it’s part of the game… I have nothing against Braun. In fact, I think he’s a very good player. He’s a good kid. But it’s a big win for us. “. And the way we overcame adversity tonight as a group is the kind of win that I think makes you grow as a team.”
Denver was on an 11-0 run to seemingly take control of the game after Braun’s dunk, which extended the Nuggets’ lead to eight points. Denver led through Aaron Gordon’s next 10 jumpers with 3:36 left, but the Nuggets didn’t form a field for the remainder of the game as the Timberwolves recovered before Jamal Murray (concussion protocol) was in of the barricade at the Denver level. the attic room.
“This loss is my fault,” Nuggets heartthrob Nikola Jokic said after the three-time MVP finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists, noting that he ignored any of his shots from the floor and gave up. in the final. 3 minutes. “I need to do a better job of getting guys involved. It was really bad for me.”
Christian Braun brought up his next dunk on Rudy Gobert, which led to double technical fouls, halting the Nuggets’ momentum and helping the Timberwolves rally from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Photos by David Berding/Getty
Timberwolves wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit two 3-pointers to lead Minnesota’s comeback, and Braun cited the miss as a result of his defensive mistakes.
“I have to be better,” said Braun, who had 14 points and seven rebounds.
Gobert made some defensive stops, grabbed a rebound and made two long shots in the final 13 seconds to seal the victory. He forced Jokic to shoot a hotly contested step-back triple in the final seconds that failed to draw the iron. On previous Nuggets ownership, Gobert pressured Braun to overlook a tricky floater.
“We’re never going to give up, and that’s the championship mentality we have to have,” said Gobert, who had 17 digs, 14 rebounds and a pair of blocks. “All the best teams in this league aren’t always perfect, but they don’t waver. They never waver. They know how to regroup, they know how to refocus and be who they are when it matters most.”
Friday night’s game was a nationally televised showdown between opponents that had eliminated all playoff chances in the Western Convention the past two seasons.
Braun, who dunked on Gobert twice during a delayed meeting last regular season, said his party next Friday could be perceived as a sign of recognition.
“The reason I get so excited after that is because he’s the best rim protector in the NBA,” Braun said. “So making a play with the best rim protector in the NBA doesn’t happen to him often. He had a really good play down the stretch where I wasn’t strong enough. That’s what he does. He’s really good at it. So That’s who he is and that’s why he’s the Defensive Player of the Year.
“They gave it to me as soon as they did to him, too, so it’s just great, aggressive juice. That’s what he’s supposed to do. That’s what I’m supposed to do, and that’s why they gave them the win. Clearly Rudy’s going to get the win. lately”.
