The Knicks looked dead, on their way to a second straight ugly loss to a contender coming out of the All-Star break.
Jalen Brunson was struggling through one of his worst offensive showings of the year, and his supporting cast had done little to help him. They trailed by 18 in the beginning of the fourth quarter, and boos were starting to emerge around Madison Square Garden.
But it’s never a good idea to write Brunson off.
Jalen Brunson celebrates after scoring the go-ahead basket during the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 108-106 comeback win over the Rockets on Feb. 21, 2026 at the Garden. Getty Images
He drilled a jumper to pull the Knicks within four points with 4:40 left in the game. Two possessions later, he drew a charge on Amen Thompson to get the ball back for the Knicks.
Two more possessions later, he drilled another jumper to bring the Knicks back within two. With 1:14 left, he hit a layup to tie the game at 103 apiece. Then he took another charge — this time on Kevin Durant.
Then came his signature moment.
He crossed up Tari Eason and drilled a jumper to give the Knicks a two-point lead with 21.2 seconds left. That was enough, as the Knicks beat the Rockets 108-106 Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. It marked the Knicks’ biggest comeback of the season.
Brunson did not make a shot from the field until 4:21 left in the third quarter, missing the first five he took. He had just two points at halftime, via free throws. But he scored eight points in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-4 from the field to help the Knicks avoid what would have been another concerning loss.
Jose Alvarado had five points and three steals in that key fourth-quarter stretch as the Knicks mounted their comeback. They forced the Rockets into nine turnovers in total in the fourth quarter and committed just one themselves.
Karl-Anthony Towns rises up for a layup during the first half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Karl-Anthony Towns, whose involvement in the offense was a major talking point during the Knicks’ blowout loss to the Pistons on Thursday, added seven points in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 25.
OG Anunoby scored just four points in the second half after pacing the Knicks with 16 in the first half, but he drilled 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 – over Mikal Bridges, which has become a recurring move by coach Mike Brown.
Durant entered the fourth quarter with 25 points, but scored just five in the quarter on 2-for-6 shooting from the field. And three of those points came on a 3-pointer after Anunoby’s free throws.
Mike Brown reacts one the baseline during the first half of the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Knicks’ defense offered little resistance — just like their loss to the Pistons — until clamping down in the fourth quarter. The Rockets were shooting over 50 percent from the field well into the fourth quarter, but went just 3-for-12 in the final period.
The Knicks were 12 minutes away from the alarm bells re-emerging.
But Brunson came alive and made sure they stayed away.
