Jalen Brunson erupted for 42 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, as the New York Knicks staged a late-game rally to defeat the Houston Rockets 124-118 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
New York trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter before unleashing a staggering 46-point final period to flip the script on Houston.
Brunson sealed the victory with two clutch free throws, helping the Knicks bounce back from their humbling home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau credited his team’s composure in the face of adversity.
“You have to win games in different ways,” Thibodeau said. “We got in a hole but we found a way to win—I loved the way we responded in the fourth quarter. Whatever it was going to take, we were going to do.”
Brunson’s 42-point explosion was complemented by Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, who each added 22 points, while Josh Hart chipped in 19.
With the victory, the Knicks solidified their third-place position in the Eastern Conference standings.
THUNDER DOMINATE SHORTHANDED BUCKS
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder capitalized on an injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks squad to claim a 125-96 rout, further extending their lead atop the Western Conference.
The Bucks, missing key stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis, had no answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the Thunder with 34 points in just 22 minutes.
Ousmane Dieng added 21 points off the bench, as Oklahoma City improved to 39-9, maintaining their dominance in the West.
GRIZZLIES, NUGGETS SECURE WINS
The Memphis Grizzlies stayed in second place in the West with a 128-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 31 points, while rookie GG Jackson delivered 27 points off the bench, hitting four three-pointers.
Ja Morant also contributed 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting.
For the Spurs, French phenom Victor Wembanyama led the team with 27 points, but it wasn’t enough to slow down Memphis.
In Denver, Nikola Jokic recorded his 23rd triple-double of the season, finishing with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 125-113.
However, it was Michael Porter Jr. who stole the show, scoring 36 points, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
With the win, Denver moved to 31-19, still nine games behind Oklahoma City in the conference standings.
WARRIORS SURVIVE MAGIC’S LATE SURGE
In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors held off a furious Orlando Magic comeback to secure a 104-99 victory.
The Warriors built a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter but saw Orlando briefly take a 92-90 lead with just over four minutes remaining.
Andrew Wiggins led Golden State with 25 points, while Stephen Curry added 24, as the Warriors rallied in the closing minutes to seal the win.
BOOKER MAKES HISTORY BUT SUNS FALL IN OT
In Portland, Devin Booker became the all-time leading scorer for the Phoenix Suns, surpassing Walter Davis’s franchise record of 15,666 points.
Despite the milestone, Booker’s night ended in heartbreak as he missed a potential game-tying free throw in overtime, allowing the Trail Blazers to escape with a 121-119 victory.
The loss overshadowed a historic achievement for Booker, who has been the face of Phoenix’s franchise since his rookie season in 2015.
