Watch Christain Braun with early Dunk of the Year candidate on Rudy Gobert’s head

Who had Denver’s Christian Braun in the Dunk of the Year pool? Nobody?

Because after this dunk Friday night on the head of Rudy Gobert he has become the early-season leader in that mythical race.

Braun yelled in Gobert’s face after the dunk, Gobert pushed back a little and both players were assessed a technical.

Braun owned the technical postgame and admitted it may have slowed Denver’s momentum after the dunk, something the Nuggets never fully got back. They blew the 8-point lead that dunk gave them to lose 119-116. Here’s what he told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post.

“I’ve gotta be more responsible,” Braun said after posterizing Rudy Gobert and getting into a brief confrontation with the Timberwolves center, which resulted in matching technical fouls. “… I’ve got to do a better job of controlling myself.”

The worse news out of this game for Denver is that point guard Jamal Murray has been placed in concussion protocols after a blow from Anthony Edwards. It’s unclear how long Murray will be out.