Jalen Brunson, like almost everyone on the Mavericks, didn’t score any points in the fourth quarter of this game against the Nuggets, a game which ended with them losing by one. Luka Doncic did the bulk of the scoring in the quarter, with 8 points, while Dwight Powell added two free throws. And that was it.
Tanking is a real thing, people, don’t ever think that it’s just some hypothetical concept that sounds good on paper but doesn’t actually happen. Tanking is real and it’s happening RIGHT NOW. You think the Mavericks were trying to score more than 10 points in the quarter but failed? No way. They’re an NBA team, with some good offensive players. This was intentional. Luka Doncic messed things up by going in for an and-one poster dunk with 7 seconds left to put them up by one, but he realized his error and missed the free throw. Every player is aware of what’s at stake here: a shot to draft Bol Bol.
So it’s not really Brunson’s fault that he didn’t score more than 20. He was ready and able to keep up his good scoring night, but knew that his team needed him to stop. And since he is a good teammate, a player that puts the needs of the team above personal glory, that’s what he did.