Christian Braun could barely contain his smile.
, and Murray's 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists made them the first teammates ever to record 30-point triple-doubles in the same game, regular season or playoffs. But it was Braun's infusion of energy that turned the game into a laugher and saved Denver's supporting cast from facing a load of questions.
It has looked worse, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone did what he could not bring himself to in Sunday's 111-108 defeat. He benched Porter for the entire fourth quarter in favor of Braun, who repeatedly delivered. Good thing, too, because Denver has not gotten much from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all series , Bruce Brown cooled off in Game 3 , and 36-year-old Jeff Green only has so much lift left in his legs.Braun is, by definition, a winner.
And the Nuggets might need Braun to do it. With only Aaron Gordon complementing their stars in Game 3, they needed another outlet to bust Miami's defense whenever it went zone and/or overloaded on Jokić and Murray's two-man game. Braun answered the call, cutting for four of his seven baskets on just eight shots.
When the Heat threatened another fourth-quarter comeback, Braun held them at bay with a flurry midway through the frame.
It was not just Braun's scoring, either. He held up defensively on multiple possessions opposite Butler.
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