The New York Knicks defeated the Utah Jazz 134-117 on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, getting exactly what they needed after dropping their previous two games. Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Jordan Clarkson had 27 and the Knicks rallied to snap a two-game losing streak. The victory wasn't pretty early on—Utah made 11 of its first 13 three-pointers to take the early lead—but New York made the crucial adjustments when it mattered.
The Knicks cut it to single digits before halftime, then took the lead with a 20-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Once New York found its rhythm, there was no stopping them. Clarkson went 10-15 from the field, 3-5 from three, and 4-4 from the free-throw line to score 27 points off the bench. The performance marked a special homecoming for the bench scorer, as the rebuilding Jazz cut ties with Clarkson via buyout before he joined the Knicks this offseason. The Delta Center crowd gave him a well-deserved tribute.
New York (42-25) stays third in the Eastern Conference and has momentum heading into their Friday matchup at Indiana. The Jazz (20-46) falls deeper into the Western Conference basement as they continue their rebuild. Check out more on how the NBA schedule impacts key playoff races as teams push toward the postseason.