How a card game — and a 2-word text — set up Kansas Jayhawks heroics in win vs. Miami

Lisa Braun sent the text to her son Christian at 10:48 a.m., less than three hours before tipoff in the biggest game of his life.

“Prayers have been said. God’s in control. Play hard, loose and have fun kid,” she wrote. “I’m proud of you.”

Christian wrote a brief note back: Love you too, Mom.

Then, Lisa decided to send one more message — two words in length, but consequential all the same. It went through, going unanswered but not unnoticed.

And all that became clear in the aftermath of KU’s 76-50 Elite Eight victory over Miami on Sunday at the United Center.

“There’s so much pressure,” Lisa told The Star from her seat behind KU’s bench after the game. “But I think he did a good job today.”

Braun — the Kansas guard scored 12 points and spurred his team’s second-half comeback — had listened to the words of the people closest to him.

And that began the night before.

KU players don’t get much free time at the NCAA Tournament — it’s treated mostly as a business trip — but Braun was able to meet briefly with family members to get some sense of normalcy.

At the Downtown Westin, the Braun family reverted to a family tradition: They played the game “Preference,” easing the tension by pulling out some playing cards.

Lisa was cautious with her words then. She knows the world’s weight is on the Jayhawks’ shoulders this time of year, and adding to that stress could do more harm than good.

In between draws, though, she’d offer some encouragement.

“Let it fly tomorrow.” “Play free.” “Don’t hesitate.”

For a half on Sunday, though, Lisa wondered whether that breakthrough would take place.

Braun had some open looks against Miami he turned down. He was one of a few Jayhawks who looked to be playing tight as the Hurricanes took a 35-29 halftime lead — with KU missing its first five three-point shots.

“I was like, ‘Quit hesitating. Just pull the trigger and go, man,” Lisa said. “ ... I think he just had to get his feet wet and get some nerves out, and let it loose.”

That moment came four minutes into the second half.

KU’s Ochai Agbaji picked off a steal, then threw ahead to Braun. He slammed it in with two hands, then roared toward his teammates.

That tied the score at 40. And it also was the precursor to a more significant sequence right after.

On the next possession, Braun received a dribble handoff on the right wing. Just in front of the sideline — and a step in front of KU coach Bill Self — Braun squared his feet and didn’t hesitate, hoisting up an NBA-range three.

It was completely unexpected ... so much so that Miami guard Isaiah Wong could only get up a late contest after Braun had already released his shot.

The ball swished through, with Braun snapping his head to KU’s bench, then upward toward the crowd to scream out a single word twice.

“Boom!”

“When I hit that three it was a big confidence-booster for me, and I’m sure for the rest of the team,” Braun said. “We just needed some energy. I thought we were flat in the first half. That shot and the dunk, I know it helped me, and I think it helped the team just get going.”

Miami never recovered. KU’s first three-pointer signified both the end of the Jayhawks’ nervousness and the start of a landslide.

KU scored 29 of the game’s next 35 points as part of that stretch to turn a small deficit into a 21-point lead.

And Braun — determined most of the season to show the world he could be more than just a spot-up shooter — went back to an old reliable weapon at precisely the right time.

“I know I shoot the ball well. I’ve got to step up and knock those down, especially (because) the team wasn’t shooting well,” Braun said at the postgame press conference, with part of the net dangling from his Final Four hat. “We needed one like that, so it was good to see one go in the hole.”

Others had been wanting this from him. Self, all season, had repeated in interviews that Braun turned down too many threes. Teammates would often tell him the same.

“I passed on one that was wide open in the first half,” Braun said. “But everybody tells me that, it’s not just coach. When I’m open, shoot it. I know I shoot the ball well.”

Perhaps he just needed a little extra urging this time.

Or maybe one final directive ultimately sunk in.

Lisa had delivered the last words Sunday morning. First, she’d shared her planned pregame message, then decided later that wasn’t enough.

After her son texted “Love you too Mom,” Lisa typed up two words to complete the conversation.

“Shooters shoot,” her words read.

Lisa smiled when looking back down at the note on her phone, just moments after Christian had left the court to celebrate the Final Four berth with his teammates.

Her son — at long last — had played free.