Rockets Vs Knicks: Brunson’s late surge lifts Knicks in 108-106 comeback
Jalen Brunson scored and defended his way through a frantic finish as the Knicks erased an 18-point deficit to beat the Rockets 108-106 at Madison Square Garden, a comeback that the team called their largest of the season. The rockets vs knicks matchup swung wildly in the fourth quarter and matters that seemed settled earlier finished in Madison Square Garden’s charged atmosphere.
Rockets Vs Knicks: tipoff, records and pregame notes
The Knicks (35*-21) hosted the Houston Rockets (34-20) at Madison Square Garden, with tip off listed at 8: 30 p. m. EST on ABC. New York entered hoping to bounce back from a bad showing on Thursday against the Pistons, while the Rockets had just squeaked by Charlotte, winning by four. The game thread opener had warned that another tall, tough team trods into MSG.
Brunson’s late-game sequence: charges, crossovers and clutch shots
Brunson, who had one of his worst offensive nights early — missing his first five field-goal attempts and scoring just two points at halftime on free throws — flipped the script in the fourth. He drilled a jumper to pull New York within four with 4: 40 left, drew a charge on Amen Thompson two possessions later to regain the ball, then hit another jumper to cut the deficit to two. With 1: 14 remaining he hit a layup to tie the game 103-103, and after taking a second charge, this time on Kevin Durant, he crossed up Tari Eason and sank a 15-footer to put the Knicks up by two with 21. 2 seconds left. Brunson finished the fourth 4-for-4 from the field for eight fourth-quarter points and said, "Decided that I had to switch it; that simple, " describing a deliberate change in mentality to be aggressive and get downhill.
Turnovers and Alvarado’s defense swung the momentum
New York forced Houston into nine fourth-quarter turnovers while committing just one turnover of their own, a swing that underpinned the comeback. Jose Alvarado contributed five points and three steals during that key stretch, a defensive burst that helped flip an 18-point hole into a winning sequence. The crowd at Madison Square Garden, which had begun to boo earlier as the Knicks fell behind, witnessed the turnaround in real time.
Towns pushed the tone, and Brown credited leadership
Karl-Anthony Towns, whose offensive role had been a talking point after the Knicks’ blowout loss to the Pistons on Thursday, added seven points in the fourth and finished with a game-high 25. Coach Mike Brown credited Towns with challenging teammates about their defense before the fourth quarter; Towns said he told the group they could win and stressed the importance of the first possession of the fourth, that they needed to get a stop and play with the intensity required for 12 minutes if they expected a win. Brown summed up the night simply: "We found a way. " He also said, "Jalen was in a groove. It didn’t matter who was on him; he found a way to score. "
Supporting cast and the finish: Anunoby, Shamet and Durant’s late numbers
OG Anunoby paced the Knicks with 16 in the first half but scored just four in the second half; he sank both free throws with 5. 4 seconds left to ice the game. Landry Shamet added 14 points off the bench and played key minutes down the stretch, a deployment that came over Mikal Bridges and has become a recurring move by Brown. Kevin Durant had 25 entering the fourth but added just five the rest of the way, shooting 2-for-7 in the period; three of those fourth-quarter points were the 3-pointer he made after Anunoby’s free throws. Trailing by 18 at the start of the fourth, the Knicks completed the rally and left with a 108-106 victory on a Saturday night — their largest comeback of the season.
