NBA: Knicks escape 18-point hole, blow past Jazz

Jordan Clarkson scored 17 of his season-high 27 points in the final 16 minutes Wednesday, leading the New York Knicks to a 134-117 comeback victory over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The Knicks erased an 18-point first-half deficit to snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 2-2 on their five-game road trip.

Clarkson, who spent the previous five-plus seasons with Utah, posted his highest point total since Feb. 5, 2025, when he scored 31 points for the Jazz against the Golden State Warriors.

The Knicks shot an impressive 64.4% (29 of 45) in the second half and finished the game on a 53-27 run. Jalen Brunson contributed 28 points, including a three-point play that put New York ahead for good at 96-94 with 1.6 seconds left in the third quarter. OG Anunoby added 22 points, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21, and Mohamed Diawara chipped in 10 points off the bench.

For Utah, Brice Sensabaugh led the team with 29 points as five players reached double figures. The Jazz made 14 of their first 18 three-point attempts, including eight straight in the first quarter, but cooled off in the second half, making just four of their final 18 shots from beyond the arc. Ace Bailey scored 21 points, Kyle Filipowski had 15, Keyonte George added 14, and Cody Williams finished with 10.

Utah controlled the early part of the game, leading 41-26 after the first quarter and holding multiple 18-point leads in the second. They carried a 65-56 advantage into halftime and maintained double-digit leads eight times in the third quarter. The Knicks’ comeback began with Clarkson’s layup with 3:16 remaining, sparking a game-ending rally.

New York took its first lead since the first quarter at 93-92 on a pair of free throws by Anunoby with 33.4 seconds left in the third. After Isaiah Collier responded with a jumper, Brunson completed his three-point play. Clarkson scored 13 points in the fourth, including a three-pointer that put the Knicks ahead by double digits for good at 112-101 with 7:37 remaining. The Knicks eventually led by as many as 22 points down the stretch.

– Field Level Media/Reuters