Jalen Brunson delivered a sensational performance, scoring 38 points and orchestrating one of the NBA's most remarkable postseason comebacks as the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday night. The Knicks trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter before mounting a stunning rally to take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Brunson's Heroics Spark Historic Rally
After a record-setting run through the first two rounds, the Knicks struggled for 40 minutes, falling behind 93-71 with 7:52 remaining in regulation. However, Brunson relentlessly attacked James Harden, sparking an 18-1 run that brought New York back into the game. He tied the score at 101-101 with a basket with 19 seconds left in regulation, forcing overtime.
The Knicks then dominated the extra period, opening with a 9-0 run as the crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted. New York moved within three wins of their first NBA finals appearance since 1999. "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."
Supporting Cast Steps Up
Mikal Bridges contributed 18 points, while three Knicks scored 13, including OG Anunoby, who struggled for most of the game but came on strong late in his return from a two-game injury absence. The balanced scoring helped New York overcome a slow start and poor three-point shooting, as they went 4 for 23 from beyond the arc through three quarters.
Cavaliers' Collapse
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 29 points, but Cleveland squandered a seemingly insurmountable lead. "Should've won the game. Not gonna put it on [complacency or fatigue]," Mitchell said. "Even if there was complacency, we're up 22 with God knows how much time – eight minutes? We gotta win the game. We didn't."
The Knicks had outscored Atlanta and Philadelphia by a combined 194 points in their first 10 postseason games, the largest margin ever. However, after a nine-day layoff following their second-round sweep, they looked rusty early. But a year after losing a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation to Indiana in Game 1 of the conference finals, the Knicks found their offense just in time.
Historical Context
The only larger fourth-quarter playoff comeback in the last 30 years was when the Clippers rallied from 24 down to beat Memphis in Game 1 in 2012. The Knicks have now won eight straight games and will host Game 2 on Thursday.
