Jalen Brunson sparked one of the NBA's greatest postseason comebacks, rallying from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to finish with 38 points as the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
Record-Setting Rally
After a dominant run through the first two rounds, the Knicks struggled for 40 minutes, trailing 93-71 with 7:52 remaining in regulation. However, Brunson relentlessly attacked James Harden, sparking an 18-1 run. He tied the game at 101-101 with a basket with 19 seconds left, forcing overtime.
"I don't have an answer for you," Brunson told ESPN when asked about the comeback. "We got some stops, we kept fighting, kept believing. Just kept chipping away. They were playing great basketball, and we just found a way."
Overtime Dominance
The Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run as a delirious crowd erupted. New York moved within three wins of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. Mikal Bridges added 18 points, and three Knicks scored 13, including OG Anunoby, who struggled early but contributed late after returning from a two-game injury absence.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for the Cavaliers, who seemed poised for a third straight road win before collapsing. "Should've won the game," Mitchell said. "Not gonna put it on complacency or fatigue. Even if there was complacency, we're up 22 with eight minutes? We gotta win the game. We didn't."
Historic Context
The Knicks had outscored Atlanta and Philadelphia by a combined 194 points in the first 10 postseason games, the largest margin ever. But after a five-day layoff, they misfired early, going 4 for 23 on three-pointers through three quarters. However, they found their offense just in time, avoiding a repeat of last year's Game 1 collapse against Indiana.
The only larger fourth-quarter playoff comeback in the last 30 years was the Clippers' rally from 24 down against Memphis in 2012. The Knicks have now won eight straight games and will host Game 2 on Thursday.
