Jalen Brunson delivered a postseason performance Madison Square Garden will not forget, leading the New York Knicks back from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Brunson finished with 38 points, sparked a furious late rally, and helped move New York within three wins of its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
A Fourth-Quarter Rally That Shocked Cleveland
For most of the night, the Knicks looked out of rhythm. After a dominant run through the first two playoff rounds, New York struggled badly against Cleveland, trailing 93-71 with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter.
But the game changed quickly.
Brunson began attacking James Harden repeatedly, helping the Knicks launch an 18-1 run that pulled them back into the game. With 19 seconds left in regulation, Brunson tied the score at 101-all, sending Madison Square Garden into chaos.
After the game, Brunson said the Knicks were not focused on getting everything back at once.
“Just keep fighting,” he said. “Keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession.”
Overtime Turns Madison Square Garden Into a Party
Once overtime began, the Knicks seized complete control. New York opened the extra period with a 9-0 run as fans danced, screamed, and celebrated in the aisles.
The Cavaliers, who had been in command for three quarters, could not recover. The Knicks outscored Cleveland 44-11 after falling behind 93-71, completing one of the most dramatic postseason comebacks in recent NBA history.
Mikal Bridges added 18 points for New York, while three other Knicks scored 13 points each, including OG Anunoby. Anunoby had struggled for much of the night in his return from a strained right hamstring but came through late when New York needed him.
Cavaliers Collapse After Three Strong Quarters
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points, but the Cavaliers could not close the game after building what looked like a safe lead.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson summed up the loss clearly.
“We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter — they dominated us in the fourth quarter,” Atkinson said.
Mitchell also acknowledged how difficult the loss was, while stressing that Cleveland cannot allow it to define the series.
“That can’t happen. But it did,” Mitchell said. “We play in two days. We can’t sit here and let it kill our momentum, kill what we’ve been doing. It’s not a good loss.”
Evan Mobley finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Harden also scored 15 points, but struggled from deep, going just 1 for 8 from 3-point range while committing six turnovers.
Defense Fuels New York’s Historic Comeback
While Brunson’s scoring powered the comeback, Karl-Anthony Towns pointed to New York’s defense as the real turning point.
“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. “It allowed us to be sitting here with a win against a really great team.”
That defensive surge helped New York overcome a rough shooting night. Through three quarters, the Knicks were just 4 for 23 from 3-point range and looked like the long layoff had hurt their rhythm.
Instead, they found their energy just in time.
Knicks Move One Step Closer to the NBA Finals
The win extended New York’s streak to eight straight games and gave the Knicks a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Game 2 will also be played at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The comeback was one of the largest fourth-quarter playoff rallies in the last 30 years. The only bigger one in that span came in 2012, when the Los Angeles Clippers came back from 24 points down to beat Memphis in Game 1.
For the Knicks, this victory also carried extra meaning after last year’s painful conference finals opener, when they lost to Indiana in overtime after giving up a late 14-point lead. This time, New York was the team that refused to fade.
Closing Paragraph
Game 1 belonged to Jalen Brunson and a Knicks team that turned a near-certain loss into a defining playoff moment. Cleveland controlled most of the night, but New York’s late defense, Brunson’s relentless scoring, and a roaring Madison Square Garden crowd changed everything. With the Knicks now three wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, the Cavaliers must quickly recover before Game 2.
