NEW YORK — Karl-Anthony Towns was lost, in that good way. He had just clasped his fourth rebound in a four-and-a-half minute stretch and, with both hands on the ball, swung his elbows to ensure no prying hands would knock the ball loose. He nodded and ...

Jalen Brunson recalled a moment back when he was in high school when Kobe Bryant gave him a pair of his sneakers.

Tonight, the New York Knicks prevailed over the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup semifinals, going up 132-120 behind Jalen Brunson, who dropped a monstrous 40-point performance on the Franz Wagner-less Magic.

“And so for me, Jalen is just doing what he gets paid to do,” Brown said. “He’s an MVP candidate in this business, and he’s just showing it again to everybody, and hopefully, you guys and the rest of the world take notice of it.” The competition, however, isn’t some cake walk.

This level of play aligns with Brown's assertion that true MVP candidates are often found on the top teams in their conferences. Brown emphasized that MVP candidates are typically the leading figures on top-performing teams.

Jalen Brunson had an astounding crossover move on Anthony Black in the Knicks' NBA Cup showdown against the Magic on Saturday night.