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.

After taking apart two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, next up for the surging Knicks will be welcoming the challenge of the reigning league MVP. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has earned that award in three of the previous four years,