Christian Braun suffered a nasty destiny final week.
Strive as arduous as you may to maintain the streak alive, it is sure to finish ultimately. On Monday night time in Sacramento, Braun was dominated out with a decrease again pressure an hour earlier than the opener, ending his streak of 122 consecutive video games performed courting again to the 2023 playoffs.
THE 23 yr outdated taking pictures guard has grow to be a fixture within the Nuggets’ lineup each night time in simply two years and has progressed in his profession.
“My objective is to be at each recreation,” Braun mentioned the earlier Thursday, after a follow at Ball Enviornment. “I feel everybody is aware of that. I do not need to damage him. I have not missed a recreation (resulting from harm) in a very long time. Even again in school. And generally you’ve gotten bumps and bruises, and possibly you do not really feel prefer it that day. However you must be able to play when it’s time to play. In order that’s my largest objective: to be on the market each night time. Be accessible each night.
“That’s what I owe this staff. That is what I owe to everybody who believed in me. That’s why I owe quite a bit to the entrance workplace, to the coaches, to everybody who comes to observe. Followers. Household.”
Earlier than his again bought in the way in which, his quad virtually did. Braun was thought-about questionable to play two weekends in the past in Washington, however coach Michael Malone admitted earlier than the sport that he anticipated Braun to play.
“This man is only a massive muscle,” Malone mentioned.
Put on and tear is all a part of studying to be an on a regular basis NBA starter, as Braun sees it. He performed via accidents in his second season. He is now in his third recreation, and he is averaging 14.5 extra minutes per recreation.
“I attempt to have a restoration plan after each recreation,” he mentioned. “Typically final yr I did not must take an ice bathtub after the sport, however I’ve to make it a routine the place I am in it every single day (now), the place I put on the Normatec boots each instances. Sleep earlier. These items… I’ve to select Russ’s (Westbrook) mind as a result of it looks as if Russ has power every single day.
Getting into Denver’s recreation in opposition to the Path Blazers on Thursday, Braun has now missed eight video games in his skilled profession, together with the playoffs. He had an Iron Man season in 2023-24. The seven video games he missed as a rookie have been rotation selections moderately than injury-forced absences. He has appeared in 96.4% of the Nuggets’ video games over the previous three seasons.
And but, Braun has been self-criticizing about his physique upkeep this previous week, as if predicting an evening he’ll should miss is on the horizon.
“I should be higher in my restoration,” he mentioned. “And it’s a studying course of. I must study a brand new routine. New method to play 35 minutes an evening. Play 35 minutes an evening, preserve enhancing as a person, preserve successful video games, preserve taking part in successful basketball and put all of it collectively. And I would not say it has been a wrestle, however I’ll proceed to study.
“There are going to be instances the place my physique goes via actually good instances, and there have been instances the place it hasn’t been pretty much as good. However that is no excuse. I’ve to be there 35 minutes, 40 minutes. At any fee.
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