As the shot clock wound down, Braun stayed airtight to Harden’s body without fouling, a well-timed double by Jamal Murray forcing Harden into a stifled stepback three that hit only air. And Braun turned towards the baseline as the 24-second buzzer rang red, bellowing, another possession won against one of the NBA’s star guards.

Everywhere James Harden tried to go, there was Christian Braun in his way. For that, thank the personal scouting report offered up from Harden’s former teammate and Denver Nuggets sixth man Russell Westbrook.

With the loss, they have now been eliminated from the 2025 NBA playoffs. James Harden finished with seven points, five rebounds, 13 assists, two steals and one block while shooting 2/8 from the field and 1/4 from the three-point range in 35 minutes of playing time.