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Jalen Brunson (28) scored 42 points as the New York Knicks unleashed a late barrage to overwhelm the Houston Rockets 124-118 in the NBA on Monday. The Knicks - humbled at home by the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday - had looked to be sliding to another defeat at Madison Square Garden as Houston powered into an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
But Houston's double-digit lead was the cue for a New York scoring spree that saw the Knicks erupt for an astonishing 46-point fourth quarter that turned the contest on its head. Brunson led the charge with 17 points in the fourth, putting the seal on the comeback with two late free throws to wrap up a win that leaves New York third in the Eastern Conference standings.
Brunson received offensive support from Karl-Anthony Towns (29) and Mikal Bridges (28), who both chipped in with 22 points apiece while Josh Hart also made double figures with 19 points. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau (67) saluted his team's ability to dig themselves out of a hole and grab victory against the third-ranked team in the Western Conference. "You have to win games 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."
In other games around the NBA on Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder took full advantage of an under-strength Milwaukee Bucks line-up to extend their lead at the top of the Western Conference with a thumping 125-96 victory. The Bucks, missing Giannis Antetokounmpo (30), Damian Lillard (34), Brook Lopez (36), Khris Middleton (33) and Bobby Portis (29), were buried by an avalanche of scoring from the Thunder, who led by as much as 44 points at one stage in the third quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26) led the rout with 34 points from just 22 minutes on the court, with Ousmane Dieng (21) scoring 21 from the bench.
