Knicks’ Jalen Brunson dominates again after All-Star snub

Playing alongside his college teammate Josh Hart once more, Jalen Brunson looked at home.

And with each passing game, Brunson, who notably was not invited to the All-Star Game next Sunday in Salt Lake City, looks more like a certified snub.

Brunson enjoyed another big game Saturday night in the Knicks’ 126-120 win over the Jazz at the Garden, when he reunited with his Villanova pal, who came over the Portland in a deadline trade, and made another statement about his All-Star case.

On the court, at least.

“No,” Brunson said, asked if the snubbing has provided motivation. “Not at all.”

Brunson and Hart looked in synch — Brunson threw a long pass to jump-start a fastbreak and earn an assist on Hart’s first field goal with the Knicks — as if no time had passed since they won the national title together at Villanova in 2016.

Regardless of his teammates, Brunson has looked unstoppable for several weeks. He followed up a 20-point first quarter in a loss Friday at Philadelphia by adding 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the first period Saturday, setting the tone for a 38-point night, which he also finished well.

With the game in the balance, Brunson went to work. He put Utah’s Ochai Agbaji on his hip, drove and pulled up to give the Knicks a 108-105 lead with 5:34 left in the fourth.

The Jazz tied it up, but Brunson swished a step-back 3-pointer for a 112-109 Knicks lead they did not give back.

Brunson was first snubbed Feb. 2, when the All-Star reserves were announced and his name was not included. When the All-Star injury replacements were selected Friday afternoon, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox and Pascal Siakam got the nod over the Knicks’ outstanding point guard.

“Those guys are all deserving,” said Brunson, who is averaging 31 points in five games since the first snubbing.

The Jazz had no answers for Brunson, who could use his speed or strength to get whatever shot he wanted. He finished 11-for-22 from the floor — including 2-for-5 from downtown — and added five assists. His last assist, finding Julius Randle alone at the 3-point line, led to a trey with 3:09 remaining that gave the Knicks a nine-point lead. They coasted from there.

Brunson went 14-for-15 from the foul line, sinking his final two with 29.1 seconds left. The Garden crowd serenaded the non-All-Star with “MVP” chants.

“It’s a credit to my teammates,” Brunson said of his recent scoring outbursts. “They have great confidence in me, the coaching staff. It’s a credit to my confidence, as well. But I control what I can control, and that’s all I really worry about.”