On the other side of the matchup, Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham cashed in 33 points, with Dennis Schroder offering 20 points off the bench. The Knicks simply need to do more offensively. They've got great talent on that side of the floor, but their heliocentric identity around Brunson relies on him being stellar both scoring and playmaking.

Greatness isn’t a one-time thing. It’s excelling again, again and then one more time. Brunson has done that in New York, and the safe bet is that he’ll continue to as the Knicks embark on their most pressured-filled postseason during his time.

The New York Knicks are up 1-0 in their best-of-seven series against the Detroit Pistons, large in part to the effort of Jalen Brunson. Brunson led the Knicks i