Jalen Brunson Staring Down Spurs’ Hellish Playoff Defense After Game 3 Struggles, Says Analyst

Brian Windhorst believes that Jalen Brunson has struggled in the first three games of the NBA Finals against the Spurs.

Jalen Brunson Staring Down Spurs’ Hellish Playoff Defense After Game 3 Struggles, Says Analyst

Brian Windhorst on Jalen Brunson (Image credits - Firstsportz)

Heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the pressure is higher than ever on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. After impressing the NBA world in the first two games on the road against the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks were in a commanding position with a 2-0 lead in the series.

However, the Knicks came up short in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and will be under severe pressure if they lose Game 4 as well. The loss in Game 3 also ended the Knicks’ 13-match winning streak.

The Spurs are the youngest team in the playoffs this year, and many of them are playing in their first-ever postseason. But they have shown no signs of playoff inexperience as they have taken out the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder in the previous two rounds.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes that Brunson has been far below his best and has struggled against Spurs’ defense.

Shai was in hell in times of that series last time. … And Brunson maybe ain’t in hell, but he is at the gates. He is shooting 36-37%. He has got as many turnovers as assists. That is not who Jalen Brunson is.

Brian Windhorst on Pat McAfee Show

Jalen Brunson is the offensive engine for the Knicks. After falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, many doubted that Brunson was the right player to lead the Knicks to a championship.

However, the Knicks guard has been incredible in the playoffs this year. He led the Knicks to their first NBA Finals since 1999, won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and has transformed his team into legit contenders.

The Spurs did a fine job of containing Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the previous rounds. It looks like they are doing the same to Brunson as well, who will be looking for a big game at the Garden in Game 4.

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The Knicks need more from Jalen Brunson in Game 4 and beyond

Despite being the best scorer for the Knicks in the NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson has not been at his usual best. There is no doubt that he is the best player for the Knicks, and he has displayed his heroics multiple times during these playoffs.

The numbers show that Brunson is having a good series. He is averaging 27.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. However, he is shooting at a poor 37% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. To highlight his struggles further, he has committed 4.3 turnovers per game in the first three games.

Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson (Image credits – New York Basketball/X)

The poor shooting efficiency and turnovers committed show that the Spurs’ defense has been hard on Brunson. While he played an instrumental role in helping the Knicks win the first two games, many believe that Karl-Anthony Towns was the best player on the court.

Brunson has had an uneasy start on the Finals stage through three games. The Knicks will need their star player to step up as they look to win their first championship in 53 years.

Paul Pierce believes Jalen Brunson will be better than Kyrie Irving all-time if he wins the title

It has been over a year since Kyrie Irving was last seen in action in the NBA. He missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his ACL last year. Irving is the craftiest and one of the best scorers in the NBA today.

However, former NBA champion Paul Pierce‘s blunt Jalen Brunson-Kyrie Irving claim will turn heads.

I’ve never seen a Kyrie lead team win a title. And as great as Kyrie has been in his career, there’s gonna be some tough conversations made if or when the Knicks win this title about Jalen Brunson and where he stands in NBA history as one of the better guards.

Paul Pierce on No Fouls Given

Irving has played in four NBA Finals and has won one NBA championship in his career. His most recent Finals appearance was in 2024 for the Dallas Mavericks. But, Pierce believes that if Brunson can lead the Knicks to a championship this year then the Knicks guard will overtake Irving in the all-time list as Irving has never led his team to a title. .

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