Rockets Vs Knicks — Towns and Brunson Spark Largest Comeback of the Season at Madison Square Garden
The Knicks staged an 18-point comeback to stun the Houston Rockets, rallying in a 33-15 fourth-quarter surge to prevail 108-106 at Madison Square Garden. Rockets Vs Knicks coverage centered on Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, whose late contributions flipped a game that looked lost for New York on Saturday night.
Rockets Vs Knicks: How the Fourth Quarter Unfolded
The final period was a complete reversal: the Knicks outscored the Rockets 33-15. Karl-Anthony Towns supplied a defensive spark to start the fourth by forcing Alperen Sengun into a bad shot, and that stop helped swing momentum. Jalen Brunson hit all four of his field goals in the quarter, including the go-ahead bucket, and the Knicks tightened up defensively enough to force multiple turnovers and create scoring opportunities.
Towns, Brunson and the Scoring Ledger
The context contains two differing tallies for Towns: one account lists him with a team-high 27 points and notes he scored seven of those in the fourth quarter; another account lists him finishing with a game-high 25 points and notes he also added seven in the fourth. Jalen Brunson is described as finishing with 20 points and seven assists in one account; separate detail shows Brunson did not make a field goal until 4: 21 left in the third quarter, had just two points at halftime free throws, then scored eight in the fourth while going 4-for-4 from the field. Those fourth-quarter actions included a jumper to pull the Knicks within four with 4: 40 remaining, drawing charges on Amen Thompson and later on Kevin Durant, a layup that tied the game at 103-103 with 1: 14 left, and a 15-footer after crossing up Tari Eason that gave New York a two-point lead with 21. 2 seconds left.
Role Players, Turnovers and Defensive Adjustments
Trade-deadline addition Jose Alvarado provided a spark: one account cites his second five-steal game with the Knicks, with three steals coming in the final quarter; another highlights that he had five points and three steals in the key fourth-quarter stretch. OG Anunoby paced the team with 16 in the first half but scored just four in the second, yet he hit both free throws with 5. 4 seconds left to ice the game. Landry Shamet added 14 points off the bench and played critical minutes late, often over Mikal Bridges. The Knicks forced nine Rockets turnovers in the fourth while committing just one themselves.
Rockets’ Collapse and Durant’s Fourth-Quarter Struggles
The Rockets surrendered the late surge and were exposed in clutch play; they are identified as 18th in clutch situations. Kevin Durant entered the fourth with 25 points but was held to 2-for-7 shooting in the period and added just five points in the final frame on 2-for-7 shooting overall, with three of those points coming on a 3-pointer after Anunoby’s free throws. Rockets coach Ime Udoka voiced frustration, saying, "It's just the same story, " and that the team has lost too many games after holding large leads, adding that turnovers hurt.
Coaching, Chemistry and What Was Said in the Huddle
Coach Mike Brown described a clear pecking order before the game — Brunson first, then Towns, then everybody else — and said it was the first time he'd been that definitive. Brown credited Towns with challenging the team in the huddle after the third quarter as boos echoed through Madison Square Garden while the Rockets had control. Brown recounted drawing up an offensive play, then hearing Towns emphasize defense, saying it "starts defensively" and that Towns "led the charge on that end of the floor. " Towns himself said he believed they could win, wanted to set the tone defensively and raise the team's intensity for the full 12 minutes of the fourth quarter.
What This Means Going Forward
The Knicks escaped with a 108-106 victory that one account calls the team's largest comeback of the season. The game underscored late-game discipline, defensive focus, and a lineup tweak that put Alvarado and Anunoby into more disruptive roles down the stretch. The differing statistical summaries in the available accounts — notably the variance in Karl-Anthony Towns’ final point total — are present in the context and highlight how immediate postgame recaps can differ on specific tallies. Recent updates indicate this game will be parsed for lineup decisions, rotation choices and how the Knicks protect leads in future close games; details may evolve as further official box-score reconciliation is completed.
