Christian Braun said the Denver Nuggets have already identified the biggest issue in their Western Conference first-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves: possessions. With the series tied 1-1 and Game 3 set for Thursday at Target Center, Braun said the Nuggets cannot afford another rebounding gap.
“There is no balance if you don’t get the rebound,” Braun said during Wednesday’s practice interview. “I need to rebound better. All of us as a unit need to help Jokic rebound.”
Denver was outscored 17-3 in second-chance points in Game 2, a number Braun pointed to as the biggest reason the Nuggets let a winnable game slip away. “There is no transition if you don’t rebound the ball,” he said.
Braun said the Nuggets reviewed their film and saw too many mistakes in the closing minutes. “I think a lot of the mistakes were on us,” he said. “We watched our film and understand that we made too many mistakes, and that loss was on us.”
He did not reduce the issue to one category. “It could be defense. It could be rebounding,” Braun said. “I thought we did a good job taking care of the ball for the most part in a couple spots.”
Braun’s role on the wing remains tied to containing Minnesota’s top scorers, especially Anthony Edwards. He said the assignment is about making things uncomfortable at the point of attack. “Tendencies,” Braun said. “You’re trying to disrupt what he wants to do. Don’t let him get to his spot. Don’t let him get where he’s comfortable.”
That same approach applies to the rest of the Timberwolves’ offense, Braun said, especially when lineups change and Minnesota spreads the floor. “It just depends on lineups,” he said. “They’re a good team. They have a lot of different things they can throw at you. We just got to be ready for everything.”
Braun also pushed back on any idea that the Nuggets need outside motivation after comments from Jaden McDaniels, calling Denver ‘bad defenders.’ “We’re not too worried about comments or what other people are saying,” he said. “I think we just got to handle the Denver Nuggets, and when we do that, that’s when we’re at our best.”
He sounded especially firm about the late-game miss that helped close Game 2. “It’s hard to simulate end of game, 19,000 people, two free throws,” Braun said. “If I could go back, obviously I want to make that shot, but I missed it.”
Braun did not try to shift blame elsewhere. “We’re not going to point at any one player,” he said. “I got to make a free throw, I got to get a stop, whatever it is. Put that miss on me.”
The Nuggets now move into Game 3 knowing Braun sees the fix in clear terms: rebound, defend, and clean up the small mistakes before they become the difference again.
