Rockets Vs Knicks: Brunson’s late surge fuels largest comeback in season, 108-106 win
The Knicks overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Houston Rockets 108-106 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, a turnaround driven by Jalen Brunson’s decisive fourth-quarter run in a game billed as rockets vs knicks. The victory ended what looked like a second straight ugly loss for New York coming out of the All-Star break and marked the team’s largest comeback of the season.
Rockets Vs Knicks: Brunson’s fourth-quarter surge
Brunson, who had one of his poorest offensive nights through three quarters, flipped the script in the final period. He did not make a field goal until 4: 21 left in the third after missing his first five attempts, and he had just two points at halftime from free throws. Over the last 12 minutes, he scored eight points and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the fourth.
Key moments came in rapid succession: Brunson hit a jumper to cut the deficit to four with 4: 40 remaining, drew a charge on Amen Thompson two possessions later to regain possession, and hit another jumper to move within two. With 1: 14 left he tied the game at 103-103 with a layup, and after taking a charge on Kevin Durant he crossed up Tari Eason and drilled a 15-foot shot to give New York a two-point lead with 21. 2 seconds on the clock.
Jalen Brunson: adjustments and mindset
Brunson acknowledged the early struggles and said he deliberately changed his approach, attacking downhill and making aggressive plays rather than remaining passive; those adjustments produced the sequence that reversed the game. Coach Mike Brown credited Brunson’s late-game rhythm, noting that it didn’t matter who was defending him in crunch time — he found ways to score and create stops.
Karl-Anthony Towns: pregame challenge and on-court impact
Karl-Anthony Towns played a pivotal role in the rally. His offensive involvement had been questioned after a blowout loss to the Pistons on Thursday, but Towns responded with seven points in the fourth and a game-high 25 points overall. Brown said Towns challenged teammates before the fourth quarter to tighten their defense; Towns said he wanted to set the tone and the intensity for the full 12 minutes if the team expected to win.
Fourth quarter momentum: turnovers, Alvarado, Anunoby and Shamet
New York’s defense forced nine fourth-quarter turnovers by Houston while committing only one turnover themselves, a swing that materially altered possession and scoring opportunities. Jose Alvarado contributed five points and three steals during the decisive stretch, and Landry Shamet provided 14 points off the bench and key minutes late — a rotation move that again came at the expense of Mikal Bridges.
OG Anunoby paced New York with 16 in the first half but managed just four in the second; he nonetheless made both free throws with 5. 4 seconds remaining to effectively ice the game. Kevin Durant entered the fourth with 25 points but added only five more on 2-for-7 shooting for the period, three of those points coming on a 3-pointer after Anunoby’s free throws.
Game context: records, tip time and fan thread notes
The matchup had been set as part of a high-profile night at Madison Square Garden: the Knicks entered with a 35*-21 mark while the Rockets were 34-20. The game carried an 8: 30 p. m. EST tip on ABC and was the local marquee following New York’s tough showing against Detroit earlier in the week. Houston had arrived having just edged Charlotte by four in its previous outing.
The pregame community thread for the matchup branded the night “The Dream Shake, ” discouraged large photos, GIFs and illegal stream links, and included a tongue-in-cheek aside — “You imagined that NBA Cup Final victory. ”
What makes this notable is how quickly momentum swung: Brunson’s conversion on a handful of critical possessions and the Knicks’ defensive pressure in the fourth turned a looming rout into a two-point win, underscoring how single-possession plays can determine outcomes late in tight league contests.
For fans concerned about gambling harms, the game notice included helpline contact numbers: 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), a Massachusetts support line at 800-327-5050, New York help 877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY, and an additional assistance number at 1-888-789-7777 for affiliated programs.
