Brunson’s heroics lead Knicks to gritty 124-118 win over Rockets in thrilling finish

It was one of those games that had the Madison Square Garden crowd buzzing from start to finish, and in the end, it was Jalen Brunson who etched his name in the Knicks’ franchise record books.

With a performance for the ages, Brunson scored 42 points and dished out 10 assists, delivering when it mattered most and leading the Knicks to a hard-fought 124-118 win over the Houston Rockets in a thrilling final sequence.

Brunson’s ice-cold 26-foot three-pointer with just one minute left gave the Knicks a 118-114 lead, but the drama didn’t stop there. Dillon Brooks responded with a pair of free throws to tie it up after Karl-Anthony Towns fouled out, and then, just when it seemed like the Knicks would close it, Brunson turned the ball over.

Houston had one last chance to tie the game, but Amen Thompson lost the ball to Brunson in a scramble. The Knicks guard was fouled immediately and calmly sank both free throws with just 21.2 seconds left, giving New York a four-point cushion that Houston couldn’t recover from.

It was the perfect exclamation mark to what might be one of the most electric endings at the Garden this season.

“You have to win games different ways. We knew it would be that type of game of the physicality, of playing small, the aggressiveness of it and then we got in a hole but we found a way to win. I love the way we responded in the fourth quarter. Whatever it was going to take, we were going to do.”

– Tom Thibodeau

Before the dagger three, Brunson had scored two clutch jump shots, including a tough drive inside against two defenders.

Thompson responded quickly after the first with a ferocious dunk, but Brunson wasn’t done. He immediately took the ball to the rim again, scoring off the glass and keeping the Knicks in control. It was clear that this game was going to come down to the wire, and Brunson, as always, delivered.

The Knicks’ fourth-quarter surge was powered by Brunson’s 17 points in the final frame, helping the team outscore the Rockets 46-29 in the fourth quarter alone.

After trailing 106-100 with 5:14 left, the Knicks ramped up their defense and offensive execution, ultimately seizing the game with an explosive run.

New York’s night didn’t start off great, though. The Knicks found themselves down by 9 points shortly after halftime, and despite a brief 72-69 lead late in the third quarter, they were staring at an 89-78 deficit as the quarter ended—Houston’s biggest lead of the night. But with Brunson leading the charge, the Knicks took control in the final 12 minutes.

Towns and Mikal Bridges both scored 22 points each, with Towns adding 11 rebounds and 5 assists to keep the offense balanced. Josh Hart also contributed with 19 points, playing a key role in the Knicks’ rally.

For the Rockets, Thompson had a strong showing with 25 points, while Jalen Green added 21. Cam Whitmore impressed off the bench with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Knicks’ explosive finish.

The game was tough for New York on the injury front, as OG Anunoby was sidelined with an injury sustained in the previous game against the Lakers. Coach Tom Thibodeau promoted Precious Achiuwa to the starting lineup, and Achiuwa played 34 minutes—his second-most this season—finishing with 7 points and 9 rebounds.

Ariel Hukporti also got some time but picked up four personal fouls in 8 minutes of play, recording 1 block and 2 rebounds.

The Knicks had their struggles, especially early on. After trailing 21-16 late in the first quarter, Miles McBride’s 14-foot pull-up jumper gave them a 25-23 lead with 1:28 left, but they wouldn’t score again for another 4:40 minutes, allowing the Rockets to take a 36-25 lead in the second quarter. Houston held that control until after halftime.

Despite getting outrebounded 50-40, the Knicks dominated in the paint, outscoring the Rockets 80-68. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with the Rockets shooting just 28% from three and the Knicks only 23%. However, New York shot over 50% from the field overall, while Houston finished at 46.2%.

Up-next: Knicks (33-17) will take on the Raptors (16-33) in Toronto tonight from 7:30.