109-129 Suns, the Lone Rangers lost another game in the Western Conference semifinals and trailed 2-0 in the series. Brunson was one of the main sinners of the fiasco, playing 27 minutes as a starter and scoring just nine points. The efficiency was also dismal, with he hit only 3 goals in 12 shots. Defensively, Brunson didn't do a good job either and became a cash machine. Brunson's presence has a negative impact on the Lone Ranger, which is also reflected in the efficiency value, which is -22.
This is Brunson's second straight bad performance. In the first game of the Western Conference semifinals, Brunson scored only 13 points and was inefficient, hitting 6 goals in 16 shots. The offensive end dragged down the team, and Brunson's defensive end was also blown up, with a plus-minus of -7.
In both games, Brunson scored just 22 points combined, which is not as high as his one in the first round. In the first round against the Jazz, Brunson also scored a single game minimum of 23 points. In the first 3 games, because of Doncic's absence, Brunson had unlimited firing rights, and he also became the team's top scorer. In the first game, Brunson scored 24 points, the second game was as high as 41 points, and the third game had 31 points. After Doncic returned, Brunson also did not lose his lethality, scoring 23, 24 and 24 points in the next three games.
In six games, Brunson scored a total of 167 points, averaging 27.8 points per game, which is already the level of a first-class scorer. In the regular season, Brunson averaged 16.3 points per game, making such a big leap in the playoffs. Brunson won the jackpot and was credited with a big contract.
Brunson is also seen as the number two man on the Mavericks, and before the Western Conference semifinals began, he was considered the one who changed the course of the series. Because the Lone Ranger originally had only one absolute characteristic of Doncic, he would obviously be strictly guarded by the sun. Doncic alone can't beat the championship team. In the first round, Brunson was a strong point, and in the Western Conference semifinals, he was also expected to pick the beam.
Unexpectedly, after reaching the Western Conference semifinals, Brunson suddenly muted. In two games, Brunson averaged just 11 points per game, down as much as 16.8 points. Of the major rotations across teams in the playoffs, Brunson's decline was the biggest.
Why is the data diving? It's not that Brunson is the data brush, it's that his style of play and the defense he faces are determined. Although Brunson has a lot of scoring methods, he mainly breaks through. Although the Jazz have a defensive gate Gobert, the team does not have an excellent defensive system, and there are many loopholes in the outside defense. In the first round of the playoffs, Brunson was able to break through at will and score high. But unlike the Suns, with almost all the outside lines being able to defend and an excellent defensive system, Brunson's breakthrough was greatly limited. Shooting is unstable, shooting four three-pointers in 2 games, only hitting 1 goal, And Brunson's sharp drop in scoring is inevitable.
Technology cannot be changed in a short period of time, and Brunson's continued downturn has become a high probability event. This is extremely detrimental to the Lone Ranger, because without the explosive Brunson, let alone promotion, it is difficult to win a game. And Brunson himself played uncomfortably, not to mention, the big contract may have gone far.