Knicks escape 18-point hole, blow past Jazz
Jordan Clarkson scored 17 of his season-high 27 points during a decisive surge over the final 16 minutes Wednesday for the New York Knicks, who overcame an 18-point first-half deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 134-117 in Salt Lake City.
Clarkson, who played the previous five-plus seasons with Utah, logged his highest point total since Feb. 5, 2025, when he scored 31 points for the Jazz in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
The Knicks shot a blistering 64.4% (29 of 45) in the second half and ended the game on a 53-27 run as they snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-2 on a five-game road trip.
Jalen Brunson scored 28 points for the Knicks and converted a three-point play that put New York ahead for good at 96-94 with 1.6 seconds left in the third. OG Anunoby had 22 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points while Mohamed Diawara added 10 points off the bench.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 29 points to lead five players in double figures for the Jazz, who made 14 of their first 18 3-point attempts -- including eight in a row in the first quarter -- before cooling off and losing for the 17th time in 22 games.
Utah made just four of its final 18 shots from beyond the arc.
Ace Bailey scored 21 points and Kyle Filipowski had 15 points while Keyonte George added 14 points and Cody Williams finished with 10 points.
The Jazz led 41-26 at the end of the first and opened a trio of 18-point leads in the second before the Knicks began inching back. Utah carried a 65-56 lead into halftime and led by double digits eight times in the third before Clarkson's layup with 3:16 remaining began the game-ending rally.
The Knicks took their 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. Isaiah Collier responded with a jumper before Brunson's three-point play.
Clarkson scored 13 points in the fourth, when he hit the 3-pointer that put the Knicks ahead by double digits for good at 112-101 with 7:37 left. New York led by as many as 22 down the stretch.