LAS VEGAS — It is about 2,500 miles from Madison Square Garden to T-Mobile Arena, but that distance wasn't apparent based on the loud "MVP!" chants echoing through the arena in the fourth quarter Saturday.

Maybe it was Knicks fans crowding in for a week of gambling, a magic show and a chance to see the Knicks win some sort of a title, something that has eluded the franchise for more than 50 years. Or maybe it was just the distant reaches of the NBA buying into what the Knicks already believed — that Jalen Brunson really is deserving of consideration for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.

It would be hard to argue against it Saturday. Brunson defied all of the Orlando Magic's efforts to slow him down, scoring an efficient 40 points to lead the Knicks to a 132-120 win and a berth i

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