The Knicks’ Jalen Brunson was the hero on Tuesday of Game 1 of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals in New York.
The epic comeback executed by the New York Knicks over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Madison Square Garden will be talked about for years to come. The Knicks’ 115–104 overtime victory was one of the most improbable wins in the team’s 80-year NBA history.
With just under eight minutes remaining in regulation time, and down by 22 points, coach Mike Brown’s players refused to quit. Trailing the Cavaliers, who just came off on Sunday of completing a seven-game playoff series victory over the Detroit Pistons with a 125–94 win, seven-year point guard Brunson took control of his team’s offense.
In his 46 minutes on the court, Brunson registered 38 points, while leading all scorers on the night. Outscored by Cleveland in the game’s first three periods, the Knicks dominated in the final quarter with a 32–18 run. Momentum remained in New York’s favor in overtime, as they bested the Cavaliers 14–3 in the final minutes of play.
“Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession,” Brunson said to ESPN.com after Tuesday’s game. “Most importantly, sticking together. No matter how that game finished, habits translate, translates to the next game. We’re just doing; we’re not giving up. We don’t want to give up, so having faith in each other.”
The Knicks offense clicked for a 22–8 run over the Cavaliers as time ticked down in regulation. New York’s massive comeback was highlighted by a 3-point shot drained by reserve Landry Shamet, with 45 seconds remaining in regulation, to tie the game at 99. New York outscored Cleveland 44–11 after the Cavaliers gained a 93–71 lead. The Knicks began the overtime period by gaining a 9–0 lead.
Brunson sank 15 of his 38 points on the night in the fourth quarter. His seven-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line went unmatched by Cleveland’s 16-year veteran James Harden who couldn’t equal the younger Brunson. Harden connected for 15 points on Tuesday night; however, he was only 1-for-8 when shooting 3-pointers, and committed six turnovers. Brunson, 29, was 7-for-11 when guarded by Harden.
Along with New York’s explosive offense late in Tuesday’s matchup with the Cavaliers, the team’s defense shut down their opposition decisively in the fourth quarter and into overtime.
“But it was our defense that has always been special in these playoffs and that has carried us in this playoffs, that showed up in the fourth quarter and in overtime,” Karl-Anthony Towns said to NBA.com after the Knicks win on Tuesday. “It allowed us to be sitting here with a win against a really great team.”
Prior to Tuesday’s Game 1 with the Cavaliers, New York had a nine-day layoff, as they finished off the Philadelphia 76ers on May 10 in four games in the semifinals round. Cleveland won its seven-game semifinal series with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland’s offense in scoring 29 points; however, just three of his points came in the fourth quarter. Harden and Mitchell’s shooting combined for 2-for-13 in the fourth quarter and in overtime. The Cavaliers came into New York looking for a third consecutive road victory. Cleveland gets a chance to rebound from Tuesday’s disastrous defeat as Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, and can be seen on ESPN.
“We played great basketball for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter—they dominated us in the fourth quarter,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said to The Associated Press at the conclusion of Game 1.
Along with Brunson’s stellar performance on Tuesday, Knicks forward OG Anunoby contributed 13 points in 34 minutes of play in his team’s win. Anunoby was scratched from New York’s Games 3 and 4 of their series with the 76ers due to a right hamstring strain.
Tuesday’s thriller at Madison Square Garden was eerily reminiscent of last year’s Knicks–Indiana Pacers Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals that also took place in New York. The Pacers’ 138–135 win also went into overtime.
The Knicks are now three victories away from appearing in the NBA Finals. The year 1999 is when they last were among the two NBA teams standing in the playoffs with the San Antonio Spurs. It was in 1973 that the Knicks won their franchise’s second NBA championship.
“I got to give my group credit,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said to the New York Daily News after Tuesday’s comeback. “They’ve been resilient all year and I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game. I don’t know if I’ve been a part of it, maybe I have. But to be down 18, 19, 20, whatever we were down and to find a way to come back and win. I mean I have to take my hat off to my group.”
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