Josh Hart jokingly attributes the Knicks' recent defensive success to Jalen Brunson's absence after their win over the Kings.

Knicks guard Josh Hart was asked after the win on Monday about the defensive surge lately. "JB's not out there," Hart said, at first with a straight face, but then breaking into a smile. Indeed, offensive star Jalen Brunson--Hart's college teammate from Villanova and a close friend--has not been out there for the Knicks.

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?

A collective groan could be heard around New York when it was announced that Jalen Brunson would be out at least two weeks with an ankle sprain. However, if one were to ask Josh Hart, life has not been so bad.

We have reached the strangest possible stage of the Knicks season. They entered Tuesday’s game against the Warriors at the Garden with a 40-20 record, which translates to roughly 55-27 over a full season, which would be the most wins in a season since 1997, which … (“That’s nice. They’re also 0-7 against the Thunder, Cavaliers and Celtics .”)

New York will have to prove its mettle without its superstar captain in the wake of Thursday’s injury, writes .

The Knicks are without their superstar floor general Jalen Brunson for at least two weeks after he suffered an ankle injury during Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It is a sizable loss to contend with at this point in the season.

The Knicks didn’t just win their first game since Jalen Brunson’s sprained ankle. See Also new york knicks Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns responds to Draymond Green’s ducking claim They dominated the Kings.