As much as Jalen Brunson gave his team last season the boss, Leon Rose, decided it wasn’t enough to make the Knicks a serious championship contender. It’s why he traded for Karl-Anthony Towns and

“That’s the beauty of Jalen as a leader,” Wright, who coached the New Jersey-born Brunson to two NCAA championships at Villanova, told NJ Advance Media at the at the 92nd annual MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards Dinner on Thursday.

For the first time in this fun series, the Knicks played with a lead in Thursday’s Game 3 and played like they deserved to win. It started in the opening quarter, with Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart frequently bringing up the ball while providing Brunson a respite — while Karl-Anthony Towns soaked up the majority of scoring opportunities.