Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, top center, looks to pass the ball to forward Derrick Jones Jr., bottom center, as Denver Nuggets guards Jamal Murray, left, and Christian Braun (0) defend in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

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.

With around six seconds remaining in the second quarter, Christian Braun committed a strategic foul on James Harden. Denver had a foul to give, so the idea was to force the Clippers to inbound the ball again and try to get a shot off against a set defense. Harden, for reasons that are unclear, was not happy with what Braun did.