A team doesn’t get to the playoffs without a multitude of important moments, and the Knicks certainly had their share in the buildup to Saturday’s playoff opener against the Cavaliers.

The obvious answers are the signing of point guard Jalen Brunson and his vast improvement, in addition to his contribution to helping Julius Randle return to All-Star-caliber play.

And, of course, the backdrop of the first-round series will be the homegrown All-Star who got away last summer: Westchester-born Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell.

Putting those well-documented factors aside for this week’s newsletter, here are five moments that helped propel the Knicks back to the playoffs after last year’s discouraging postseason whiff.