NBA: Jalen Brunson's huge fourth quarter powers Knicks over Hawks

Jalen Brunson delivered a clutch performance down the stretch, scoring the go-ahead basket with 29.8 seconds remaining to lift the New York Knicks to a hard-fought 108-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in what could be a preview of the upcoming playoffs.

Brunson finished with 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and accounted for 14 of New York’s final 16 points. With under a minute left, he drove past CJ McCollum and knocked down a contested 19-footer that proved to be the decisive basket.

The game remained tight until the final seconds. McCollum drained an uncontested 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to bring Atlanta within one, 106-105. Brunson responded by calmly sinking two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining. On the final play, Brunson defended McCollum’s halfcourt attempt, which was waved off as time expired.

In addition to his scoring, Brunson contributed 13 assists and shot 11-of-26 from the field, including 6-of-10 in the final quarter. The Knicks shot 50 percent as a team and overcame 17 turnovers to secure the win.

OG Anunoby added 22 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 21 points and 12 rebounds to help New York rally from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter. Mikal Bridges chipped in 15 points, and Mitchell Robinson contributed eight points and 12 rebounds.

The victory marked the Knicks’ 10th win in their last 13 games, improving their record to 51-28 while snapping Atlanta’s 13-game home winning streak.

For the Hawks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 36 points and seven 3-pointers. His corner triple gave Atlanta a 100-95 lead with 3:15 remaining. Jalen Johnson added 21 points and 11 rebounds, but Atlanta fell to 45-34, suffering just its fourth loss in 23 games since the All-Star break.

Atlanta appeared in control late in the third quarter after Johnson’s one-handed slam gave the Hawks a 10-point advantage. However, Towns sparked a Knicks rally with 10 consecutive points, helping New York trim the deficit and take an 81-79 lead into the fourth after Anunoby’s late 3-pointer.

The Hawks regained momentum early in the final period, taking a 90-85 lead on Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer. Robinson responded with a putback to tie the game at 90-90, setting the stage for a tense finish.

After another key 3-pointer from Alexander-Walker, Brunson took over, scoring seven straight points to give the Knicks a 102-100 edge with just over two minutes remaining. McCollum briefly tied the game on the next possession, but Brunson ultimately sealed the win with his late heroics. -Field Level Media/Reuters