The Utah Jazz thought they had been blessed when the Dallas Mavericks lost their star player, Luka Doncic, right before the playoffs began.
However, the Jazz are now down 2-1 against the Mavericks and seem to be out of ideas about how to beat them.
One of the main reasons why the Jazz are struggling so much against Dallas is Jalen Brunson, who has been on fire during the postseason.
Luka Doncic has yet to play a second, but Jalen Brunson has been the best player in this series so far. Mavs take a 2-1 lead with a win in Utah. Jazz are scrambling for solutions.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 22, 2022
Brunson has been averaging 32 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in this first round.
In Game 1, he put up 24 points.
That was followed by 41 points in Game 2 and 31 points in Game 3.
The Jazz can’t wrap their head around Brunson, who is deftly filling the void left by Doncic.
Right now, having no Luka is no problem for the Mavericks.
Brunson Busting Out
Brunson being a powerful, impressive player isn’t news – the point guard has been terrific all season long.
He has averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a game with an average of 31.9 minutes played.
Obviously, he has stepped up even more in the postseason.
When Doncic was sidelined with an injury right before the playoffs began, many fans were concerned about how the Mavericks would move forward.
Most assumed that three-point assassin Spencer Dinwiddie would be the answer and the team would be focused on making more deep twos and threes.
Instead, Brunson has become the team’s leader.
He’s a smaller player but he is able to keep much bigger defenders on their toes and has a way of weaving all over the court and finding the basket.
Additionally, he can be lethal from beyond the arc too.
Brunson is making life very, very hard for the Jazz and he might soon end their season.
NEXT: Jalen Brunson Is A Legendary Bargain For The Mavericks