Knicks Declaw Grizzlies But Lose Brunson in Scary 4th

Despite a troubling fourth quarter that saw Jalen Brunson leave early, the New York Knicks handled business against the depleted Memphis Grizzlies.

Tuesday's New York Knicks game won't go down as one of the greatest games Mike Breen and Walt "Clyde" Frazier have called for MSG Network, but it was certainly more entertaining than it had any right to be.

Facing a Memphis Grizzlies team with 13 men on its Tuesday injury report, the Knicks appeared well-paced to coast through the second half with a dominant trio of dozens but wound up withstanding a furious rally from the visitors to earn a 123-113 victory.

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New York led by as much as 28 but saw that lead whittled to as little as four in the final period. While they were able to survive getting outscored 39-26 over the final 12, Knicks Nation now collectively holds its breath for Jalen Brunson, who left Tuesday's game early after twisting his ankle in the final period. Brunson, who put up 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting and dished out eight assists prior to his departure, did appear to walk off on his own strength. 

The Knicks (33-18) got back into the win column after their nine-game victory streak ended against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Tuesday's tone was established early, as Brunson scored 14 points in the opening period alone en route to a seven-point lead at the first break. That advantage inflated to 24 by halftime, as the Knicks forced seven turnovers in the second and outscored Memphis 37-22.

While the third quarter was mostly the same, a Memphis group with pretty much nothing to lose roared back into contention thanks to a combined 23 points off the bench from GG Jackson and David Roddy. With most of the Garden's attention perhaps dedicated to the Knicks' locker room, the Grizzlies embarked on a 32-12 run over an eight-plus minute span, as a Roddy triple narrowed the gap to four with an uncomfortable amount of time left on the clock. 

But the severely undermanned Grizzlies (18-33) ran out of gas after that, allowing the Knicks to secure their first sweep of the year interconference pair since 2020-21. With Brunson out, another Villanova alum picked up the slack, as Donte DiVincenzo scored eight of the Knicks' final 10 points to close out the game, including a triple on the very next possession that slammed the door on a potential comeback. 

With a game-best 32, DiVincenzo has now scored at least 20 points in each of his past five, extending a career-long streak. He's averaging 27.8 points in that span while shooting just under 40 percent from three-point range. In other personal streaks, Josh Hart pulled in 10 rebounds, putting him at double-figures in each of the past five.

Despite the loss, its sixth in a row, Memphis picked up minimal moral victories: Tuesday's game was a drastic improvement from Sunday's trip to Boston, a 40-point defeat. Seven different Grizzlies reached double-figures in scoring, led by 19 for Vince Williams Jr.

Brunson Leaves Grizzlies Game Early

Tuesday marked the Knicks' final game before the trade deadline on Thursday. After the 3 p.m. transactional freeze, they'll face the Dallas Mavericks at MSG (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/TNT).