Perhaps the best indication of what’s important for these Knicks — or what’s most relevant to their status as either contenders or pretenders — was the theme of Wednesday night’s postgame locker room interviews.

Karl-Anthony Towns forced Nikola Jokic into early foul trouble, while Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks’ late surge to secure their fifth straight victory. With the three-time NBA MVP sidelined, the Knicks ran away with a 122-112 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored eight points down the stretch and finished with 17 as the New York Knicks beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-95.