Unsung heroes lead Knicks comeback effort against Rockets

The New York Knicks completed their largest comeback win of the season against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Down 18 with just under 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they appeared to be stuck in mud.

Knicks’ Jose Alvarado provided the energy in comeback win

Suddenly, they closed the game on a 33-13 run to win the game. Jalen Brunson woke up with 18 second half points, and he drilled the eventual game-winner, but there were unsung heroes that got the job done for them in this one.

Jose Alvarado continues to make a tremendous impact since coming over at the trade deadline. He was the difference maker in the fourth quarter, grabbing three steals and bringing some pace on the offensive side while sharing the backcourt with Brunson.

Perhaps the biggest play was with the Knicks trailing by four with under two minutes remaining, when Alvarado snuck from behind on Kevin Durant to jar the ball free and secure a fastbreak layup on the other end. Alvarado would then intercept a bad pass in the corner the very best play, which Brunson would convert on the other end to tie the game with a reverse layup.

Alvarado subbed into the game for Mikal Bridges down the stretch, who was struggling mightily for most of the night. The move by Mike Brown ended up paying off, as his contributions were ultimately the biggest difference.

Karl-Anthony Towns had a huge performance

Karl-Anthony Towns’ performance can’t be overlooked, either. He delivered perhaps his best offensive performance in months, and his impact defensively was showing as the Knicks clawed their way back.

Towns finished with 25 points and shot the ball well, going 10-for-15 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from outside the arc. His impact was felt tremendously, and without his scoring, the Knicks don’t make that comeback.

They started the comeback with Brunson on the bench, so Towns and Alvarado had to provide the spark offensively. They did exactly that, and it resulted in them getting their biggest comeback win of the season.

The Knicks will look to do it all again on Sunday, when they head out on the road to face the Chicago Bulls.