Jalen Brunson endured two games in which he shot less than 30 percent from the floor at any point during his breakout regular season.
The 76ers have a bigger body in Brunson, even though the Knicks still hold a 2-0 lead, as Game 3 of their first-round series moves to Philadelphia on Thursday night at Wells Fargo. He did a great job of attacking and influencing his look at the basket. center.
Brunson averaged the fourth-highest points in the NBA this season (28.7 points), but missed 39 of 55 field goal attempts and missed 10 of 12 3-point attempts in the first two games of the series. ing.
“The simple answer is we need to adjust, we need to be more calm, we just need to understand what they’re doing and get completely better,” he said Wednesday in Tarrytown. Brunson said after practice. “There’s no gimmicks. It’s just, ‘Jalen, you need to get better.’ And it’s that simple. ”
Brunson went 8-of-29 in Game 2, missing his first five shots from long range, but made a side-step 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds left to pull the Knicks within two points.
The first-time All-Star said he’s been hitting “for the most part the shots I’ve been taking and the shots I’ve been making” all season.
The Sixers will primarily use 6-2 Brunson in the series with 6-foot-7 wing Kelly Oubre Jr. and 6-8 forward Nic Batum as their primary defenders, hoping to beat other players. I dared to do it.
Brunson’s teammates have largely picked him up in those two wins, led by Josh Hart, who averaged 21.5 points, 14 rebounds and 45.0 minutes in the series.
“Those guys were phenomenal. Someday I’ll reach their level,” Brunson said.
Hart said: “You have to give Philadelphia credit. Oubre and Batum, they defend [Brunson] Full coat. I don’t think he has to do anything different. …You put yourself in a slump, and you get out of the slump.
“So for him, he just needs to keep hitting shots and keep being aggressive. That’s what we need to do. Maybe we can play faster and where he’s not struggling with holding. Maybe we can try to give him a clean look or try to push him away, use his strength trying to get the ball and try to make something happen. You can make it a little cleaner.”
Brunson played in four regular-season games against the Sixers, shooting only 40.3 percent, but the Knicks also had a good performance, winning three of those games.
The $104 million point guard scored 29 points in the Jan. 5 matchup, but shot just 34.6 percent (18-of-52) in the remaining three games.
Asked about the league’s “Last 2 Minutes” report, which found Brunson and Hart twice fouled Tyrese Maxey in his late-game comeback, Tom Thibodeau said Brunson didn’t make enough calls. He changed his answer after repeating his frustration throughout the season that he wasn’t able to receive the award.
“I care more about 46 minutes of coverage. I mean it,” Thibodeau said. “I knew they couldn’t call a foul there. I’m watching how Jaylen is guarded.”
Still, Thibodeau flatly stated that he has “never seen” Brunson get frustrated in his past two wins.
“I think he’s doing what he’s supposed to do,” Thibodeau said. “They’re overloaded, so they just make plays. That’s why they get a lot of offensive rebounds. Their zone philosophy is too heavy on the strong side.
“If you think about what they’re going to do with him, it’s to have him play in the crowd, so don’t force it. Take the shots that are there. The game will tell you what to do. I’ll give it to you.”
Of course, Brunson was familiar with the Wells Fargo Center, having been a star player in college and winning two NCAA titles at nearby Villanova.
He expects it to be a hostile environment, especially considering the situation late in the second game, with the home team losing 2-0.
“It’s fun. It’s a test to see where we are as a team. In an environment like that, you have no choice but to stick together,” Brunson said. “This is a great opportunity for us because we know it’s going to be loud and it’s going to be great to see their fan base.
“[It will take] Mentally tough, calm and focused. There will be times when things don’t go as planned. It’s about how we respond to every situation and making sure we have the right mindset in everything we do. ”
