The Rockets' Blown Lead vs the Knicks In Regular Season Looks Different Now

The Rockets had a disastrous collapse at MSG themselves earlier in the year.

Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Houston Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (2) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals will go down as one of the greatest NBA games in recent history. The New York Knicks pulled off the greatest comeback in Finals history, overcoming a huge 29-point deficit in the third quarter and won 107-106 in front of a legendary Madison Square Garden crowd to go up 3-1 in the series.

Many have considered this to be the greatest comeback in NBA history and one of the greatest in sports history. The case is clear. The Knicks are an incredible comeback team. They're probably one of the best teams in the history of the association to make comebacks and win. It's something they've done in all three Finals wins and something they did throughout the regular season.

There is no shock at all to know that the Houston Rockets were one of the victims of a Knicks comeback this year. The Rockets were the opposite of the Knicks in this category. Houston had given up countless leads throughout the season and had two of the worst collapses in the NBA in 2026. That is, until the San Antonio Spurs did what they did in Game 4.

The Rockets played the Knicks at MSG back on Feb. 21 on Saturday night primetime, and it just showed the story of how amazing the Knicks are at fighting back, while also demonstrating the key late game struggles Houston faced throughout the entire season.

Rockets Also Collapsed vs Knicks

Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots past Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Given the atrocities the Spurs committed against the Knicks, this Rockets' collapse hilariously doesn't seem too bad anymore. New York outscored San Antonio 58-30 in the second half of Game 4. For a refresher, the Rockets basically were in control the whole game against New York on the road.

The Rockets went into the fourth quarter up 93-75 with 11 minutes to go and proceeded to give up one of the largest fourth quarter comebacks in Knicks history. It was more of the same from Houston, who just looked completely different in the final frame. The Rockets were outscored 33-15, and it was the offense that was the issue.

Turnovers had been a problem without an experienced point guard throughout the year, and it came back to haunt the Rockets as they turned it over nine times, including on three straight possessions late when all they had to do was hold onto the ball.

The Rockets lost 108-106 thanks to a 14-2 Knicks run towards the end. Jalen Brunson, who's more than proved he's one of the most clutch players in the league, scored 20 second half points.

At the time, the 18-point comeback was the biggest Knicks comeback win in over two years. Keep in mind, the Rockets also later gave up the biggest overtime comeback in NBA history to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This was an issue all season for Houston, but the Knicks are also something else in these situations.