New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 34 points, reserve Jordan Clarkson had 25 and the New York Knicks came from 17 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124 on Thursday and win on Christmas Day for the third straight year.

Reserves Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson sparked the comeback after the Cavaliers led 103-86 early in the final period. Kolek had 16 points and nine assists, and had fans chanting his name after a late block on Donovan Mitchell that originally was called a foul but was overturned on review. Robinson hustled after offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive and finished with 13 boards.

“Our bench basically won the game for us,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “They put us in position down the stretch.”

Brunson made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining, after he, Kolek and Clarkson all hit from behind the arc in a 13-2 run that cut Cleveland’s 12-point lead to 111-110.

“It was ugly, but we found a way,” Brunson said. “We don’t want to be down 17 once, let alone twice. But it shows you the type of team we are. We’re growing as a team, and this is a big step for us.”

Mitchell had 34 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland added 20 points and 10 assists, but the Cavaliers blew their chance at a third straight win.

Evan Mobley finished with 14 points and nine rebounds after missing five games with a strained left calf.

Spurs beat Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — De’Aaron Fox scored 29 points, and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 on Thursday for their third win over the defending NBA champs in the past two weeks.

The Spurs also defeated the Thunder in an NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 and in San Antonio on Tuesday. The teams meet again on Jan. 13 in Oklahoma City.

Victor Wembanyama had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Stephon Castle had 19 points and seven assists for the Spurs (23-7). San Antonio shot 53.6% from the field and held the Thunder to 38.9% shooting.

It was San Antonio’s eighth straight win and Oklahoma City’s second home loss of the season. The Thunder entered the day at the top of the Western Conference standings, with the Spurs in second.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, but the reigning league MVP made just 7 of 19 field goals. He scored at least 20 points for the 102nd consecutive game.

Warriors top Mavs

SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry scored 23 points and knocked down a key 3-pointer with 3:45 left to help seal it, Jimmy Butler added 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-116 on Thursday.

Mavericks rookie star Cooper Flagg had 27 points on 13-for-21 shooting, six rebounds and five assists in his Christmas Day debut while Brandon Williams scored 26 off the bench.

Klay Thompson returned to face his former Warriors team in the holiday matinee after missing Tuesday’s home game against the Nuggets with soreness in his left knee.

And former Splash Brother Curry kept sneaking a peek of Thompson’s warmup before they met at midcourt for a greeting and embrace. Thompson received a warm ovation when he entered the game for the first time with 5:51 remaining in the opening quarter.

Mavericks center Anthony Davis didn’t return after exiting in the second quarter with groin spasms. Davis had three points, three rebounds and two blocked shots in 11 minutes.

Thompson leads Rockets

LOS ANGELES — Amen Thompson scored 26 points to lead six players in double figures and the Houston Rockets never trailed in beating Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers 117-96 on Thursday night.

Kevin Durant added 25 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who ended a two-game skid while improving to 7-7 on the road. Thompson had seven rebounds and five assists.

Doncic scored 25 points and LeBron James added 18 points for the Lakers, who fell to 25-27 in their 27th consecutive appearance on Christmas and 52nd overall in a tradition that began in 1949. They’ve dropped three in a row overall.