Knicks’ Jalen Brunson defends Mavericks’ Luka Doncic against ‘unfair’ criticism

DALLAS — After the Dallas Mavericks’ Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics, the team faces a daunting 3-0 lead in the series. Luka Doncic’s sixth foul came at a crucial time with the Mavericks leading 93-90 in the middle of a 20-2 run, a decision that was upheld after head coach Jason Kidd issued a challenge . The Mavs lost 106-99 after playing the final 4:12 without Doncic, drawing heavy criticism of the superstar.

Many have criticized Doncic for his mistakes in this situation and his general handling of interactions with officials. His reaction during the post-match interview only made the discussion worse. “We couldn’t play physically,” he said. “I do not want to say anything. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically, that’s how I am. Doncic then held out both hands, palms out. “Come on, man. (Be) better than that.

During an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Doncic’s former teammate Jalen Brunson called the criticism “unfair” given the nature of the stories.

“I would say yes, I think it’s unfair,” Brunson said. “There’s a lot that happens in a season on a show that a lot of people don’t see. People want players to be perfect. They want you to be perfect. They want you to have a 40 average. They want you to win Finals MVP. They have so many stories to tell you.

Brunson highlighted the inconsistency of the referees in crucial moments and defended an emotional reaction to this. “There are times when calls are made in the same situations where calls are not made. All fouls can be subjective to a referee,” he said. “Yes, obviously you don’t want to complain, but it’s a difficult situation to be in.”

Doncic’s reactions to referees’ decisions are something Brunson has emphasized. “It’s emotional. It’s an emotional game. And everyone expects to say, ‘Hey, you’re a grown man, you need to act like one.’ No, it’s a question of emotion,” he said. “This is what everyone in this league has worked for, an opportunity like this, and sometimes emotions take over.”

When discussing how he interacts with officials, Doncic acknowledged he needs to do a better job of channeling those frustrations. “At the end of the day, the referees will have the final say,” he said. “So I just need to get away from this.”

The criticism Doncic has leveled shouldn’t discount his production, averaging 29.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the NBA Finals. Needing to avoid elimination, he wants to play happily and emulate the way they executed during the 20-2 series.

“Get back to enjoying playing,” Doncic said. “We talk about how we came back from (21) points down in the fourth quarter of the final. We were having fun. We were defending. We were running. Our pace was excellent. I just take good shots.

Stay with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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