With Jalen Brunson sidelined due to an ankle sprain, the New York Knicks must elevate their play as a unit. As the regular season winds down, Tom Thibodeau’s team holds the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

Though the team may be without Jalen Brunson for the foreseeable future, this Knicks x-factor could help to keep the team afloat.

New York enters Monday’s matchup in Sacramento amid a three-game losing skid. Of course, the Knicks are coming off losses against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, and they will have another tough matchup against a red-hot Kings team.

Anyone with eyes knows what it would mean for N.Y. if Brunson were to miss significant time — like trying to drive a car without the keys.

The New York Knicks suffered a crushing overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, but the final result was not the worst thing to happen. Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson left the game with just over a minute remaining in overtime with an apparent ankle injury and did not return.

Josh Hart got chuckles in the locker room Monday night because the best jokes are tinged with truth. And this was his response to the question of why the defense has improved lately:

Missing their captain, the Knicks leaned on defense, shooting and pace in a dominant showing against the Kings. Can they do it consistently?