While it was Precious Achiuwa who stepped into the starting spot vacated by Anunoby, who missed his first game of the season with a sprained right foot suffered Saturday night, it was the four remaining starters who picked up the slack,

Well, MVPs have a habit of raising their game to another level when co-stars, particularly ones as important as OG Anunoby, are out. And that’s exactly what the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson did.

Brunson’s response? A signature takeover performance. The first-time All-Star starter erupted for 42 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds on 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line, leading the Knicks to a 124-118 victory — a bounce-back win after Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and their sixth win in seven games.