Stephen A. Smith did not hide his frustration with Jalen Brunson after the New York Knicks wasted a 32-point night in their Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs .
Brunson still filled the scoring column at Madison Square Garden, and that is exactly why the criticism carried weight. This was not about questioning his place as the Knicks' leader or what he has already done for the franchise.
For Smith, the issue was how those points came. In a Finals game where New York had other hot hands, Brunson's shot selection and approach became part of the postgame conversation.
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Stephen A. Smith's reaction came after Jalen Brunson and the Knicks were unable to extend their lead to 3-0 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
"I'm shocked to have to say this because he's a superstar that we're so appreciative of what he has done for the New York Knicks organization," Smith said.
He added, "We know who Jalen Brunson is and what he represents. But tonight it looked like he was playing to be an MVP rather than be playing to win Game 3."
Smith's point was not that Brunson failed to produce. It was that the Knicks needed a cleaner offensive balance, especially once San Antonio started surviving New York's late pushes.
That made the criticism more pointed. Brunson scored 32, but Smith saw a star chasing control of the moment instead of letting the best possession decide the game.
Brunson finished Game 3 with 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he needed 25 shots to get there and committed five turnovers in the 115-111 loss.
That continued a Finals trend. He opened the series by shooting 12-of-31 in Game 1, then went 7-of-25 in Game 2 before his 11-of-25 night in Game 3. The scoring has remained high, but the efficiency has not consistently matched the volume.
The frustrating part for Smith was that the Knicks had help. OG Anunoby scored 28 on 9-of-13 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns made four of his six shots, even if his fourth-quarter impact faded.
That is why Brunson's 32 points did not settle the debate. In a Finals game decided by four, the Knicks needed their superstar to read the floor as much as own the stage.
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