The New York Knicks rally from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. After a struggling start, Jalen Brunson delivers a historic comeback, finishing with 38 points and propelling the Knicks into overtime.
NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson sparked one of the NBA 's greatest postseason comeback s, a rally from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and finished with 38 points as New York beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
After a record-setting run through the first two rounds, the Knicks were going nowhere for 40 minutes against the Cavs, trailing 93-71 with 7:52 to play. But Brunson relentlessly attacked James Harden to spark an 18-1 run that made it a ballgame, and he tied it at 101-all on a basket with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. The Knicks then opened overtime with a 9-0 run as a delirious crowd in Madison Square Garden danced and screamed in the aisles.
The Knicks 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 came on late after struggling most of the way in his return after missing two games with a strained right hamstring. Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for the Cavaliers, who seemed well on their way to a third straight road win before their late collapse.
The Knicks won their eighth straight game and will host Game 2 on Thursday. The Knicks had outscored Atlanta and Philadelphia by a combined 194 points, the largest margin ever through a team’s first 10 postseason games. But after not playing since May 10, when they finished their second-round sweep of the 76ers, the Knicks misfired most of the night, looking like the rust hurt more than the rest helped.
They were 4 for 23 on 3-pointers through three quarters and then had a horrible start the fourth. But a year after coughing up a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and losing to Indiana in OT in Game 1 of the conference finals on their home court, the Knicks found their offense just in time.
The only bigger 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 came from 20 points behind three times last year in the postseason. Those were their largest comebacks on record since 1969-70, when they won their first of two NBA titles. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
New York Knicks Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals Postseason Comeback James Harden Mikal Bridges OG Anunoby
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Knicks vs. Cavaliers series odds, prediction: Jalen Brunson & co. have the edge in conference finalsAfter a grueling seven-game series, the Knicks finally have their Eastern Conference Finals opponent.
Read more »
Jalen Brunson Picks, Predictions & Best Bets for Cavaliers vs Knicks Game 1These Jalen Brunson picks trust the New York Knicks point guard to move the ball once he gets past the Cavaliers' backcourt in Game 1 on Tuesday, May 19.
Read more »
Pacer Setter: Jalen Brunson Exposes James Harden in Knicks Stunning ComebackThe Indiana Pacers have nothing on this! The New York Knicks stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, storming back from a 2
Read more »
San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson: Crunch Time StarsBoth San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson made significant contributions in crunch time to help their teams win Games 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Wembanyama scored 41 points and had 24 rebounds, and Brunson led a 44-11 run in the final minutes of regulation and overtime to seal the win for the Knicks. Both teams had to overcome double-digit deficits and go to overtime in the climactic moments.
Read more »