Jalen Brunson is the leader the Knicks deserve

Brunson also showed why he's the leader the Knicks have yearned for. With 9:42 left in the third quarter, Brunson departed the game with a shoulder injury when the Knicks had a comfortable 85-65 lead. Most players would have likely sat out the rest of the contest.

Instead, the Villanova alum trotted out back to the court a little over six minutes later. As he returned, the Madison Square Garden gave him a rousing ovation. On commentary, Clyde Frazier was so moved that he compared Brunson to former Knicks captain Willis Reed, with whom he won two championships in 1970 and 1973.

"Brunson reminds me a lot of [Reed]," Frazier said. "Tenacious work ethic, team-oriented, always sharing and caring."

After the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau couldn't stop raving about Brunson's leadership. 

"I think it’s inspiring," Thibodeau said of Brunson's decision to return to the floor, via the Associated Press.

Thibs also praised Brunson, a former second-round draft pick, for being "a self-made guy" that few touted highly. 

Brunson is averaging 25.1 points and a career-high 7.5 assists in his third season as a Knick. The point guard has also done a tremendous job of allowing fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to blossom in his first season with the franchise. The tandem of Brunson and KAT holds the key to New York's chances of making a deep postseason run this year.