NEW YORK, United States — Jalen Brunson took charge with a sensational 42-point performance as the New York Knicks mounted a late surge to down the Houston Rockets, 124-118, in the NBA on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time).
The Knicks, fresh off a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at home, were on the brink of another defeat as the Rockets built an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
But just when it seemed like New York was slipping into another disappointing night, they exploded in a scoring spree that turned the game around.
Houston’s comfortable lead quickly vanished as the Knicks erupted for a staggering 46 points in the final period. Brunson led the charge with 17 of those points, and his clutch performance included two decisive free throws that sealed the victory.
With Brunson setting the tone, the Knicks were also boosted by solid contributions from Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, who each chipped in 22 points. Josh Hart also played a key role, adding 19 points to help New York secure the win.
The victory lifted the Knicks to third place in the Eastern Conference standings, with coach Tom Thibodeau praising his team’s resilience in overcoming adversity.
“You have to win games different ways,” Thibodeau said after the game. “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.”
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder took full advantage of an injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks squad, thrashing them 125-96 to extend their lead at the top of the Western Conference.
With key players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Brook Lopez missing from the Bucks’ lineup, the Thunder capitalized on the opportunity. They led by as much as 44 points during the third quarter, putting on a clinic of scoring dominance.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the Thunder’s rout, putting up 34 points in just 22 minutes and 24 seconds on the court. Ousmane Dieng added 21 points off the bench to further extend Oklahoma City’s lead.
The Thunder’s win pushed their record to 39-9, keeping them firmly atop the Western Conference standings, ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis moved to 34-16 with a 128-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jaren Jackson Jr. was the standout for the Grizzlies, scoring 31 points, while GG Jackson contributed 27 points off the bench, including four three-pointers. Ja Morant chipped in with 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting.
San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, the French basketball phenom, led the Spurs with 27 points in the defeat.