Rockets Vs Knicks — Brunson’s late flurry lifts Knicks to 108-106 comeback
In a wild rockets vs knicks finish on Saturday night, Jalen Brunson rallied the New York Knicks from an 18-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the Houston Rockets 108-106, handing the Rockets their first loss after a five-game winning streak.
Brunson’s fourth-quarter flurry
The game, played on February 21, 2026, reached a boiling point early in the fourth as the Knicks trailed by 18 and boos echoed through Madison Square Garden. Brunson — who had missed his first five field-goal attempts and didn’t make a field goal until 4: 21 of the third quarter — turned the night around in the final frame.
He drilled a jumper to pull New York within four with 4: 40 left, drew a charge on Amen Thompson two possessions later to get the ball back, then hit another jumper to cut the margin to two. Brunson’s jumper tied the game at 103 with 1: 26 left, and after Kevin Durant lost the ball near the sideline and committed an offensive foul, Brunson answered with a pullup jumper that put the Knicks ahead for good. He crossed up Tari Eason and knocked down a 15-footer to extend the lead with 21. 2 seconds remaining.
Towns, Anunoby and the bench swing momentum
Karl-Anthony Towns paced the Knicks with 25 points, scoring seven in the fourth quarter to help fuel the comeback. OG Anunoby scored 20 overall — he had 16 in the first half but just four in the second — and drilled both of his free throws with 5. 4 seconds left to ice the game.
Jose Alvarado provided a spark in the closing stretch, contributing five points and three steals during the pivotal fourth-quarter run. Landry Shamet added 14 points off the bench and logged key minutes down the stretch over Mikal Bridges, a rotation pattern coach Mike Brown has used repeatedly.
How the fourth quarter unfolded
The Knicks, who had led by 13 in the first half, opened the fourth with an 8-1 run before Jabari Smith Jr. buried a 3-pointer in front of the Houston bench. Houston then missed eight straight shots and committed two turnovers as New York built a 14-2 stretch capped by Towns’ layup off the glass that cut the deficit to 99-97 with 3: 32 left.
New York forced nine fourth-quarter turnovers while committing just one. Brunson finished with 20 points, going 4-for-4 from the field in the fourth, and the comeback marked the Knicks’ largest of the season.
Rockets Vs Knicks: Houston’s endgame and key stats
Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Houston but entered the fourth with 25 and managed only five more on 2-for-7 shooting in the period; three of those points came on a 3 after Anunoby’s late free throws. Jabari Smith Jr. finished with 21, Alperen Sengun had 16, and Amen Thompson posted 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets had been on a five-game winning streak before the loss.
Durant had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed a 40-foot attempt. Earlier in the closing sequence he plowed into Brunson and was assessed an offensive foul that swung possession back to New York.
Coach Mike Brown said simply, “We found a way. ” He also praised Brunson’s toughness: “Jalen was in a groove. It didn’t matter who was on him; he found a way to score. ” Brunson reflected on his turnaround: “Didn’t like how I was playing. Decided that I had to switch it; that simple. It’s the mentality of trying to get downhill, make plays, not being hesitant, not being passive. If there are mistakes, they’re aggressive mistakes. ”
The Knicks’ win came two nights after a disappointing loss to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit and followed a blowout loss to the Pistons on Thursday, both of which had been talking points for the team heading into the weekend.
The Knicks won 108-106. The Knicks’ next scheduled game is unclear in the provided context.
