Rockets Vs Knicks — rockets vs knicks: Jalen Brunson’s late heroics propel Knicks to crazy comeback win
In a wild rockets vs knicks game on February 21, 2026, the New York Knicks rallied from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Rockets 108-106. Jalen Brunson’s late jumpers, charges and a pullup gave New York the lead for good in a comeback capped at Madison Square Garden.
Fourth-quarter eruption and sequence
The Knicks began their fourth-quarter rally with an 8-1 run in the opening minutes of the quarter after having led by 13 in the first half. That run was interrupted when Jabari Smith Jr. hit a 3-pointer in front of the Houston bench. Houston then missed eight consecutive shots and turned the ball over two times as New York went on a 14-2 surge, capped by Karl-Anthony Towns’ layup off the glass that cut the deficit to 99-97 with 3: 32 left.
Brunson’s comeback performance
Jalen Brunson did not make a field goal until 4: 21 left in the third quarter, having missed his first five attempts and entering halftime with just two points scored on free throws. He finished with 20 points and scored eight in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 from the field in the period. Brunson drilled a jumper to pull the Knicks within four with 4: 40 left, drew a charge on Amen Thompson two possessions later, hit another jumper to cut the margin to two, and hit a layup with 1: 14 left to tie the game 103-103. He then took a charge on Kevin Durant, crossed up Tari Eason and drilled a jumper to give New York a two-point lead with 21. 2 seconds remaining. Brunson also answered an offensive foul by Durant with a pullup jumper that gave the Knicks the lead for good.
Rockets Vs Knicks fourth-quarter rally
The Knicks forced the Rockets into nine turnovers in the fourth quarter while committing just one themselves across the period. During the key stretch the Rockets turned the ball over twice and missed eight straight shots, allowing the Knicks to mount the largest comeback win of the season for New York. Durant had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a 40-footer.
Stat lines and key contributors
Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a game-high 25 points, adding seven in the fourth quarter. OG Anunoby scored 20 points overall — he paced New York with 16 in the first half before scoring just four in the second half — and drilled both free throws with 5. 4 seconds left to ice the game. Landry Shamet provided 14 points off the bench and played key minutes down the stretch over Mikal Bridges, who finished with 11 points. Jose Alvarado had five points and three steals in the pivotal fourth-quarter stretch.
Rockets’ production and streaks
Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Houston, entering the fourth quarter with 25 and adding just five in the final period on 2-for-6 shooting; three of those fourth-quarter points came on a 3-pointer after Anunoby’s free throws. Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 21 points, Alperen Sengun added 16, and Amen Thompson had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets had won five in a row before the loss.
Coach reactions and context
Coach Mike Brown described Brunson’s late run: “Jalen was in a groove. It didn’t matter who was on him; he found a way to score. ” Brown also said, “We found a way. That’s what I’m most excited about. ” The victory came two nights after a disappointing loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit team, and the Knicks were, as one account noted, 12 minutes away from the alarm bells reemerging before the fourth-quarter turnaround.
February 21, 2026 / 11: 58 PM EST — New York won 108-106 in a comeback that featured key turnovers forced, multiple charges taken by Brunson, and late free throws by Anunoby that sealed the result.
