Knicks Jalen Brunson says he has to be flat-out better in Game 3 vs. 76ers

Jalen Brunson didn’t endure a two-game segment in which he shot under 30 percent from the floor at any point during his breakout regular season.The 76ers have done an impressive job of swarming Brunson with bigger bodies and affecting his looks at the basket, even if the Knicks still carry a 2-0 lead as the first-round series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Thursday night at Wells Fargo Center.Brunson averaged the fourth-most points in the NBA this season (28.7), but he has missed 39 of 55 field-goal attempts — and 10 of 12 from 3-point range over the first two games of the series.“The easy answer is I need to adjust and I need to be more poised, just understand what they’re doing and just flat-out be better,” Brunson said after practice Wednesday in Tarrytown.“There’s no gimmicks to it.

It’s just, ‘Jalen, you need to be better.’ And it’s that plain and simple.”Brunson finished 8-for-29 in Game 2 and missed his first five attempts from long distance before his side-step 3-pointer pulled the Knicks within two with 27.1 seconds remaining.The first-time All-Star noted that “for the most part” he has been taking “the shots that I’ve been shooting … and making” all season.The Sixers have mostly employed 6-foot-7 wing Kelly Oubre Jr.and 6-8 forward Nic Batum as the primary defenders on the 6-2 Brunson in the series, daring others to beat them.Brunson’s teammates largely have picked him up in the two wins, led by Josh Hart, who is averaging 21.5 points, 14 rebounds and 45.0 minutes in the series.“Those guys have been phenomenal.

At some point, I’ll get up to their level,” Brunson said.Said Hart: “Got to give Philly credit.Oubre and Batum, they guard [Brunson] full-court.

I don’t think there’s anything he has to do different.… You shoot yourself into a slump and you shoot yourself out of a slump.“So, for him, he has to just continue to shoot, continue to be aggressive.

That’s what we need.Maybe we can play fa...