Kelly Oubre Jr. was asked after the Sixers’ game four loss to the Knicks what has helped Jalen Brunson erupt in Philly after being quieted by the Sixers defense through the first two games of the series, causing Oubre to glance down at the stat sheet of Philly’s 97-92 loss.
“Thirty four shots?” Oubre said, shaking his head. “I mean yeah, he's a great player. Great, great player. I love playing against him. I love his game. He has a lot of fundamentals and skillset to his game. But anybody shoots 34 shots that has skill and is a great player, they're gonna be able to do well. And especially when you get screens, just getting mismatches, finding the right matchups and things like that, he’s a great player. He’s gonna capitalize on those things.”
Brunson’s big day was much more than his volume of shots. He set a Knicks playoff record with 47 points while shooting 52 percent from the field, keeping New York in the game in the first half while his teammates started the game shooting 2-for-12 from downtown. Oubre was tasked with defending Brunson for much of the game, and after helping hold him in single digits in field goals made through each of the first two games, Brunson has since erupted to drop 86 combined points in games three and four.
“It was due to happen,” Oubre said. “JB is a great player. He’s been doing this all year long. Just because I say he shot 34 shots, it doesn’t mean he’s gonna stop shooting them. That’s what they need him to do. But at the end of the day, he’s just finding his groove. Thibs is doing a good job putting him in positions to get to his left hand and get into the paint.”