Jalen Brunson Breaks Down Knicks' Fourth Quarter Drama vs. Raptors

Jalen Brunson had a message after the New York Knicks gutted out a fourth quarter that almost slipped away.

Mar 3, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots a basket during warm up before a game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

There are wins you cruise through, and then there are wins you earn. Well, last night in Toronto, the New York Knicks did the latter, pulling away from the Raptors 111-95 in a game that felt far tighter than the final score suggests. But if we looked at past records earlier, it was considered an easy win. When it mattered most in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson reminded everyone exactly who he is.

When asked how the Knicks found another gear down the stretch, Brunson kept it straightforward in a postgame interview with MSG Network.

"Getting stops? That's always a great time. When you hold a team to under 100 points, and especially a team like that, they play so fast, they get downhill, they create opportunities for each other, we just found a way in the last five minutes to string some stops together."

Last​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ night, the Knicks had 32 assists in total, with 10 of them coming from Brunson himself, so the ball certainly moved well.

However, when he was asked about the overall defensive improvement of New York in the last 20 games, Brunson was straightforward about ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌it.

"Holding each other accountable. There's gonna be days where we take steps back, days we take steps forward. But most importantly, sticking together. There's always gonna be a lot of noise, a lot of BS running around. It's all about how we trust each other."

Jalen Brunson on finding a way to get some stops late in the 4th to go on a 16-2 run to close out the Raptors!@LT__Murray | @WaltFrazier | #NewYorkForever pic.twitter.com/SbRmMV5o1T

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) March 4, 2026

The Fourth Quarter Drama

The Knicks entered the fourth clinging to a five-point lead at 87-82, and Toronto refused to fold. RJ Barrett's pull-up jumper at the 10:38 mark trimmed it to three, and the Raptors kept chipping. Immanuel Quickley's driving layup at 5:50 made it 95-93, a two-point game, and the arena buzzed with a potential Raptors comeback.

Brunson​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ really went to work at that point. A stepback jumper at 7:04, a three-pointer at 3:20 to make it 100-93, and the dagger, a steal with about two and a half minutes left that led directly to Josh Hart's layup, making the lead 11.

Brunson had 26 points and 10 assists, and KAT chipped in with 21 points and 12 rebounds. To be honest, the way this game almost slipped away was a real ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌shock.

The Raptors play at a pace that can unravel any defense in minutes, and two points with 5:50 left is not comfortable territory. The Knicks extending their Toronto win streak to 12 is impressive, but this one required real character to close.

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