swerteplay NBA: Jalen Brunson guides Knicks to comeback win over Rockets

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after being fouled during the first half of an NBA game against the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jalen Brunson scored 11 of the final 13 points Monday night for the New York Knicks, who overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to top the visiting Houston Rockets 124-118 in the NBA.

Brunson finished with 42 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Knicks, who went 4-1 on their now-concluded homestand. It was the first 40-point, 10-assist game for Brunson and the first such game for a New York player since Trey Burke had 42 points and 12 assists in a 137-128 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 26, 2018.

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Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points apiece while Josh Hart added 19 points for the Knicks, who outscored the Rockets 46-29 while shooting 62.5 percent in the fourth quarter.

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The Knicks won despite the absence of OG Anunoby, who missed his first game of the season due to a right foot sprain sustained Saturday in a 128-112 defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Amen Thompson posted 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the undermanned Rockets, who lost their season-high third straight game. It was Thompson’s second triple-double of the season and the third of his career.

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Jalen Green had 21 points while Cam Whitmore (18 points) and Aaron Holiday (15 points) each got into double figures off the bench. Tari Eason added 12 points, while fellow starter Dillon Brooks finished with 11.

Fred VanVleet sat out with a right ankle injury suffered on Saturday in a 110-98 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, while All-Star center Alperen Sengun was sidelined for a third consecutive contest due to a left calf contusion.

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Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, agreed to a three-year, $106 million extension. Sengun, who was chosen 16th in the same draft, agreed to five-year, $185 million extension.

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The Rockets finished the third quarter on a 20-6 run to take an 89-78 lead before the Knicks began inching back. Towns’ three-point play put New York ahead 109-108 with 3:38 left, beginning an eight-possession sequence in which the teams swapped the lead six times.

Brunson put the Knicks ahead for good at 115-114 by banking in a layup with 1:38 left.

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The Rockets missed two shots on their next possession, which ended with Thompson airballing a 3-point attempt as the shot clock expired. Brunson responded with a 3-pointer, but Brooks drained a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left, getting Houston within 118-116.

The teams traded turnovers before Brunson and Hart went a combined 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 21 seconds. –Field Level Mediaswerteplay

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