Jalen Brunson buried a contested 3-pointer with 37 seconds left in overtime, capping the most improbable comeback you’ll see at The Garden this season — a 124-122 victory that left the Brooklyn Nets wondering how they blew a 21-point lead.
Down 89-68 with 2:47 remaining in the third quarter, the Knicks (28-16) turned Madison Square Garden into a madhouse with a rally that had Tom Thibodeau pumping his fist and 20,000 fans on their feet. Brunson finished with 39 points and 13 assists, while Julius Randle bulldozed his way to 33 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday night’s cross-river classic.
The Garden Erupts as Fourth Quarter Unfolds
What happened in those final 17 minutes defied logic. The home side outscored Brooklyn 22-7 to open the fourth, turning a 13-point deficit into a white-knuckle finish that sent the building into delirium.
OG Anunoby’s steal and breakaway dunk with 3:12 left gave New York its first lead since the opening quarter — and the roar that followed could probably be heard in Queens. “We just kept fighting,” Brunson said, still catching his breath. “Coach kept telling us to take it possession by possession, and that’s what we did.”
The Nets (19-25) thought they had stolen one when Cam Thomas hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.8 seconds left in regulation. Thomas finished with 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting, but even his heroics couldn’t save Brooklyn from its own fourth-quarter meltdown.
Randle Turns Back the Clock
This was vintage Julius Randle — the version that made All-Star teams and had Knicks fans dreaming of deep playoff runs. He scored 15 of his 33 points over the final 17 minutes, repeatedly attacking a helpless Nic Claxton in the paint like he was playing against a traffic cone.
“Julius was unstoppable down the stretch,” Thibodeau said. “That’s the Julius we need every night.”
The victory moved New York within 1.5 games of Miami for the fourth seed — a remarkable position considering they’re doing this without Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley. Seven wins in their last 10 games suggests this team might actually be built for a postseason run.
Brooklyn’s Championship of Choking
For the third time in five games, the Nets found a creative way to blow a double-digit second-half lead. They shot a blistering 58% through three quarters, connecting on 15 of their first 23 three-point attempts like they were playing NBA 2K on rookie mode.
Then reality hit. Brooklyn managed just 6-of-19 shooting in the fourth quarter, looking like deer in headlights as the crowd noise reached playoff levels.
“We got comfortable,” coach Jacque Vaughn admitted — which is coach speak for “my team completely fell apart.” When you’re up 21 against a team fighting for playoff positioning, comfort is the last thing you can afford.
Mikal Bridges added 24 points, but the bench contributed just 18 compared to 31 from New York’s reserves. At 8-14 at home, the Nets are essentially playing themselves out of playoff contention one meltdown at a time.
Brunson’s Killer Instinct on Full Display
That overtime 3-pointer? Pure ice water in the veins. Brunson came off an Isaiah Hartenstein screen and didn’t hesitate for a millisecond, even with Spencer Dinwiddie draped all over him. It was his fourth 35-point game since the All-Star break — the kind of clutch performance that separates franchise players from good scorers.
Hartenstein, filling in admirably for the injured Robinson, grabbed 11 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench. The big man’s screen on that final shot was a thing of beauty — a reminder that championships are built on the little things.
The final numbers were staggering: 52% shooting over those final 17 minutes, just four turnovers in the second half while forcing 11 Brooklyn miscues. That’s championship-level execution when it mattered most.
Thursday brings Philadelphia to The Garden for the first of four straight home games. If this performance is any indication, those 76ers better pack their hard hats — this Knicks team isn’t going quietly into anyone’s good night.
