Knicks' Jalen Brunson Defends Mavericks' Luka Doncic Against 'Unfair' Criticism

Luka Doncic's former Dallas Mavericks teammate and current New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson defended the Slovenian superstar against "unfair" criticism.

Dec 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — After the Dallas Mavericks' Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics, the team faces a daunting 3-0 series hole. Luka Doncic’s sixth foul out came at a crucial moment with the Mavericks trailing 93-90 amid a 22-2 run, a call that was upheld after head coach Jason Kidd used a challenge. The Mavs lost 106-99 after playing the final 4:12 without Doncic, serving as the focus of heavy criticism for the superstar.

Many criticized Doncic for fouling in that situation and his general handling of interactions with officials. His reaction in the postgame interview only worsened the discussion. “We couldn’t play physical,” he said. “I don’t want to say nothing. You know, six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I’m like this.” Doncic then extended both hands, palms out. “C’mon, man. [Be] Better than that.”

Dec 3, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

During an interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Doncic's former teammate, Jalen Brunson, called the criticism "unfair" given how the narratives are.

“I would say, yes, I think it’s unfair,” Brunson said. “A lot goes on in a season, in a series that a lot of people don’t see. People want players to be perfect. They want you to be perfect. They want you to average 40. They want you to win finals MVP. They have so many narratives for you.”

Brunson highlighted inconsistency from referees in pivotal moments and defended having an emotional reaction to that. “There’s certain times where calls are made in the same situations where calls are not made. All fouls can be subjective for a referee,” he said. “Like yeah, obviously you don’t want to complain, but it’s a tough situation to be in."

Doncic having reactions to officiating decisions is something Brunson emphathized with. "It’s emotional. It’s an emotional game. And everyone’s expecting, ‘Hey, you’re a grown man, you need to act like one.’ No, this is an emotional thing," he said. "This is what everyone in this league has worked for, an opportunity like that, and sometimes emotions get the best of you.”

When discussing how he interacts with officials, Doncic did acknowledge he has to be better about how he channels those frustrations.. "At the end of the day, refs are going to have the last word," he said. "So just got to go away from that."

The criticism Doncic has drawn shouldn't overlook his production, averaging 29.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in the NBA Finals. With the need to stave off elimination, he wants to play with joy and emulate how they executed during the 20-2 run.

“Go back to playing fun,” Doncic said. “We talk about how we come back from [21] points in the fourth quarter in the Finals. We were having fun. We were defending. We were running. Our pace was great. Just taking good shots.”

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

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