SAN ANTONIO — When Jalen Brunson went down in Los Angeles a little over a week ago, with his ankle turned in the opposite direction, all eyes shifted toward Mikal Bridges as the man who needed to step up in his absence.

With Jalen Brunson sidelined, Mikal Bridges has started to look more like the guy the Knicks hoped they would be getting when they traded a bundle of draft picks to the Nets.

The New York Knicks miss their star point guard in Jalen Brunson, but there has been a bright side with him on the sideline. New York has played five games without Brunson since he sprained his ankle on Mar.