MINNEAPOLIS — In order to be the Anti-Ant, Christian Braun knows he can’t flinch at Ant’s antics.
This is a matchup that requires embracing, even relishing, the opponent’s fondness for talking trash. It’s a matchup that demands a willingness to guard on an island, where defensive errors are more exposed. It’s a matchup that rewards intensity and audacity.
Braun has nowhere near the name recognition or star power of Anthony Edwards. But he possesses the confidence to believe his defense and Edwards’ offense can be equals. As he told The Denver Post this summer, alluding to the second round of the 2024 playoffs, “In that last series, I think everybody saw what I was capable of.