Amazing, and Important, Come-from-Behind Win. NY 108 Houston 106

February 22, 2026 LouV 2025-26 0
KAT had 25 pts on 10-15 shooting (3-3 from 3) and a +23 to lead NY. Photo courtesy NY Knicks.

The Knicks took an early 11-pt lead over Houston, fell behind in the 3rd quarter and were down 18 points early in the 4th, when Jose Alvarado came off the bench to spark their defense, and Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson took it from there for an amazing, comeback win — 108-106 on a Saturday night at a rocking Madison Square Garden.

KAT dominated early in the comeback and finished with 25 pts on 10-15 shooting (3-3 from 3) and a +23. Brunson hit clutch shot after clutch shot in the final few minutes — finishing with 20 pts on 6-12 shooting (0-1 from 3, 8-9 in free throws) — and on defense picked up two clutch offensive foul charges.

And in between Jose Alvarado came up with huge steal after huge steal — 5 steals in all — including a huge one with 1:34 left that allowed Brunson to come down the other end and tie the game at 103-103. The Knick D then forced a Kevin Durant turnover, and Brunson came down again and hit a clutch shot to put NY up 105-103 with 29 seconds left.

It was an important win for New York’s confidence — after being soundly beaten (again) by Detroit at MSG 2 nights earlier.

Landry Shamet also excelled for NY with 14 pts on 5-7 shooting (2-4 from 3) and heady defense. He played over Josh Hart down the stretch in the 4th. Josh Hart had a tough shooting night (1-7 for 2 pts) in 27 minutes. Mikal Bridges held up his end with 11 pts on 5-11 shooting (1-2 from 3) and a +3.

Kevin Durant led Houston with 30 pts on 10-26 shooting (4-10 from 3), while Alperen Sengun had 16 pts on 6-12 shooting, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 21 pts on 8-13 shooting (4-8 from 3).

“I just challenged our team to start the fourth,” said KAT afterwards. “Challenged them. I said we could win this game, I’ve seen us do it — it starts with the first possession of the 4th quarter playing defense. We got to get a stop. The most important possession of the game is the first one of the 4th quarter. And I wanted to do my part as well, in trying to get that stop. And thank God I was able to find a way to help us get that stop, and from then on trying to set the tone for our team and set the intensity level that we needed to play for, for 12 minutes if we expected to come out with a win.”

The game was played in front of a National TV audience with Shaquille O’Neal looking on. Afterwards Shaq, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith interviewed KAT. Shaq made a point to say that if NY is to win the title, KAT needs to take charge. KAT acknowledged that — twice — but also said it’s not about him but winning — he wants the team to win. After the interview Shaq ripped KAT, saying he needed to be more of take-charge guy. Shaq seemed to not be listening to what KAT was saying.

NY improves to 36-21 — in 3rd place in the East, 7 games back of Detroit and 1 behind Boston; Houston falls to 34-21, in 4th in the West, 8 games back of Oklahoma.

1. Knicks Take Charge Early — Go Up by 11 Points

NY jumped on top early on the scoring of Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson were doing the early scoring for Houston.

An OG steal and an OG dunk put NY up 13-6.

Mohamed Diawara drove for a bucket and it was 17-11 NY.

Mitchell Robinson came in and dominated — scoring consecutive buckets — one off an offensive rebound, and one on a drive off a Diawara assist, to put NY up 21-14. Jalen Brunson missed several shots but made two free throws at the end of the quarter for his first points, putting NY up 27-21 after 1.

OG Leads Knicks to 11-Pt Lead in 2nd

OG Anunoby continued to carry the Knicks at the start of the 2nd quarter — hitting a 3 and a drive off a Josh Hart steal for 5 straight points to put NY up 32-21.

2. Houston Comes Back — Takes Lead at Half

But Houston pushed back. Jabari Smith Jr. started to go off, Amen Thompson was being a defensive demon, and Alperen Sengun started to get buckets inside as Houston pulled back within 4.

Then Kevin Durant started knocking down shots and Houston was rolling.

Durant free throws with 14 seconds left put Houston up by a point at the half — 54-53.

3. Houston Goes Up Double Digits with Quick Run Late in 3rd

Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Durant got buckets early in the 3rd, with Tari Easton doing a great job distributing and Houston built a 10-pt lead at 65-55.

A Durant 3 and Thompson steal and bucket put Houston up 15 at 82-67 with 2:42 left in the 3rd.

NY pushed back within 10 on buckets by Shamet and Brunson, but another quick Houston run at the end of the quarter put them up 91-75 heading into the 4th.

4. Alvarado, KAT & Shamet Spark NY Comeback from 18 Down in 4th

Despite KAT saying the first possession of the 4th quarter was the most important of the game and NY needed a stop — Houston actually scored the first bucket on a Dorian Finney-Smith layup a minute into the period and Houston was up by 18 pts.

But Shamet came back with a 3 off an Alvarado assist and KAT HAMMERED home a dunk to wake up Madison Square Garden.

The comeback had begun.

A Shamet 3 was answered by a Jabari Smith Jr. 3 — but KAT hit a 3 and NY was down 97-86. Game back on.

Jose Alvarado made a runner, and then Alvarado missed a layup but Mikal Bridges came out of nowhere for an offensive rebound and tip-in and it was 97-91 Houston.

The Knick D continued to stifle Houston. A minute later KAT drove inside, missed a shot but got his own rebound and fed OG underneath with a beautiful pass for a dunk and 99-93 game.

5. Brunson (and Alvarado) CLUTCH Down the Stretch

Jalen Brunson then put his cape on.

He took a charge for an offensive foul on Amen Thompson with 3:47 left, and down the other end KAT rolled inside for a bucket and it was 99-97 Houston with 3:32 left.

Tari Easton answered with a drive, but Jalen Brunson hit a pullup for a 101-99 game.

Then Jose Alvarado stole the ball from Durant and scored on an impossible layup in traffic for a 103-101 game.

Alvarado then stole the ball on a pass by Sengun, and fed Brunson who made a drive for a tie game with 1:26 left.

Alvarado is one of those special players that NBA Analyst Ross Kreines notices. “Tweeted below on Jose Alvarado in 2022,” noted NBA Analyst Ross Kreines. “Jose Alvarado will outwork you, out tough you, gets into and after u defensively along with making you earn everything and takes no play for granted all while playing for the name in the front of his jersey not the back. Skills u can’t teach.”

OG then drew a charge on Durant — and NY had the ball. Houston challenged the call but lost the challenge — it was a clear charge.

Brunson then came down and hit a HUGE, CLUTCH pullup with 29 seconds left for a 105-103 Knick lead!

Brunson had been HOUNDED all night — with Houston players like Thompson coming up his weak side to steal the ball on his spin moves. But in the end he figured out a way to slice the Houston defense in the clutch.

“No matter whether his shot is falling or not,” noted Kreines. “He always stays in attack mode, gets himself to the line which helps him see the ball go through the hole which gets himself back in rhythm and then once again hits huge shots or makes the right pass or play.”

End Game

NY then defended well — Durant missing a 17 footer with OG on him, Eason grabbing the loose ball and feeding Smith who missed a 3 — KAT hauled down the rebound and it was Knick ball with 14 seconds left.

The game then became a free-throw battle — OG hitting two CLUTCH free throws to put NY up by 4. But Kevin Durant hit a 3 to make it a 1-pt game with 1.4 seconds left.

Houston purposely fouled Shamet — who missed the 1st free throw, then — inexplicably tried to hit the 2nd and made it — giving NY a 2-pt lead but allowing Houston to inbound the ball from under the basket. Houston had no timeouts so the better strategy would have been to miss the 2nd free throw so that Houston would have to rebound the ball and make a full-court shot to win it. Instead they inbounded under their basket — and football-quarterbacked a pass to Durant at 35 feet from the basket up court — and he heaved up a 3 that missed badly for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401810671

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