Jalen Brunson Surpasses Luka Doncic & Nikola Jokic in Major Career Milestone Amid MVP Shoutout
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IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
After hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy as Finals MVP and leading the Knicks to their first championship since 1973, Jalen Brunson is still adding to his résumé. And the latest number attached to his name puts him ahead of two former MVPs in a category that speaks to his reputation as one of the league's most dangerous playoff scorers.
Brunson now has 10 playoff games with 40 or more points in the 2020s, the most of any player in the league across that span. That total puts him ahead of Luka Doncic and Donovan Mitchell (8 apiece), Jimmy Butler and Devin Booker (8 apiece), Giannis Antetokounmpo (7), and both Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic (6 apiece).
What makes the number stand out even more is the company Brunson is keeping it over. Doncic and Jokic have combined for multiple MVP awards and playoff appearances of their own, yet neither has matched Brunson's volume of monster scoring nights when the games matter most.
For a 6-foot-2 guard who wasn't even a lottery pick, doing this instead of the league's biggest offensive engines and reigning superstars shows just how much his playoff scoring has separated itself from the pack.
The milestone also arrives with an MVP endorsement still fresh in the conversation. Knicks head coach Mike Brown made his stance clear during New York's NBA Cup run this past season, pushing hard for Brunson to be included in the league's MVP discussion. "When you have an MVP of the league candidate in Jalen Brunson... he makes the game easier for everybody," Brown said at the time. "That's what MVPs are supposed to do, and he definitely did that tonight."
Brunson's run to the 2026 title included a Finals MVP performance built on elite fourth-quarter production. He averaged 11.2 points per fourth quarter during the series, setting an all-time NBA record in the process.
Taken together, the 40-point milestone isn't just stat. It's a continuation of the same story that's defined Brunson's rise from an undersized guard to one who is consistently outproducing bigger names in the moments that matter most, then backing it up with a championship to remove any remaining doubt about where he stands among the league's best.
Ubong Archibong is an NBA writer at BasketballNews, bringing over two years of experience in basketball coverage. Having previously worked with BasketballNews, Sportskeeda and FirstSportz, he has developed a strong foundation in delivering timely and engaging content around the league. His coverage focuses on game analysis, player performances, and evolving narratives across the National Basketball Association. Blending statistical insight with storytelling, Ubong aims to go beyond the immediate headline by placing performances and moments within a broader context, helping readers better understand the dynamics shaping the game. His work prioritizes clarity, accessibility, and a fan-first approach that connects audiences to both the action and the personalities behind it. Before joining BasketballNews, Ubong covered the NBA and WNBA across multiple platforms, building experience in fast-paced reporting and deadline-driven publishing. His background in content writing has strengthened his ability to balance speed with accuracy, ensuring consistent and reliable coverage for a global audience.
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