Brunson powers Knicks past Kings as New York dominates fourth quarter for third straight win

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks turned a tight game into a comfortable win with a dominant fourth quarter, beating the Sacramento Kings 103-87 on Tuesday night. The Knicks outscored Sacramento 31-15 in the final period after the teams were tied 72-72 heading into the fourth, making it New York’s third straight victory.

Mikal Bridges added 18 points for New York, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Towns helped ignite the decisive stretch by opening the fourth with a 3-pointer, then hitting another during an early burst that pushed the Knicks in front and forced Sacramento to chase the game. OG Anunoby also provided key scoring as New York’s defense tightened late.

Sacramento was led by DeMar DeRozan’s 34 points, but the Kings’ perimeter shooting struggled. DeRozan and Russell Westbrook combined to hit only a small share of their attempts from three-point range as Sacramento finished 5-for-30 from deep. That lack of outside efficiency made it difficult for the Kings to respond once New York began stacking stops and turning them into scoring runs.

The closing sequence highlighted New York’s control: after DeRozan cut the deficit to five, Brunson answered with a 3-pointer and followed with two more baskets as the Knicks produced a run that essentially ended the contest. New York’s ability to create separation late stood out even though the Knicks committed 21 turnovers, a number that could be more costly against stronger opponents.

The win carried an extra storyline for Knicks coach Mike Brown, who earned a victory against Sacramento, the team that fired him last season. Up next, the Kings travel to Philadelphia on Thursday, while the Knicks head to Toronto on Wednesday as New York looks to sustain its momentum.