The New York Knicks’ eighth straight playoff win was their most impressive one yet.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his game-high 38 points during the final eight minutes of regulation and overtime Tuesday night for the host New York Knicks, who overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The result was New York’s biggest-ever comeback in a playoff game.
The Knicks, who trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left, ended regulation on a 30-8 run before scoring the first nine points of overtime. New York never trailed in the extra session.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that in a playoff game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
Few people have. New York pulled off the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback in an NBA playoff game and the biggest since April 29, 2012, when the Los Angeles Clippers trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 24 points before earning a 99-98 win in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series.
“To be down 18, 19, 20 — whatever we were down and to find a way to come back and win, I take my hat off to my group,” Brown said.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the third-seeded Knicks, who hadn’t played since completing a sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers on May 10. New York’s previous seven wins were by an average margin of 26.4 points.
Mikal Bridges had 18 points for New York on Tuesday, while OG Anunoby and Josh Hart finished with 13 points apiece.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday night in New York.
“Should’ve won the game,” said Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored a team-high 29 points but just three in the fourth quarter and overtime as Cleveland played for the 11th time in 21 days.
Mitchell said fatigue wasn’t a factor for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who advanced to the conference finals by beating the Detroit Pistons in a seven-game second-round series that ended Sunday night.
“We’re up 22 with God knows how much time, eight minutes? Gotta win the game,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t.”
James Harden and Evan Mobley scored 15 points apiece for the Cavaliers while Sam Merrill collected 12 points off the bench. Starters Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade each chipped in 10 points.
Mitchell’s 3-pointer with three seconds left in the second quarter gave the Cavaliers a 48-46 halftime lead and sparked a 48-25 run for Cleveland — a span of 16-plus minutes in which the Knicks shot just 28% (7-for-25).
But the Cavaliers hit just four shots while committing six turnovers after taking their biggest lead on James Harden’s free throw.
“We played great basketball tonight for three quarters,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Unfortunately, fourth quarter, they dominated us.”
The Knicks hit 16 of their final 21 shots, including eight straight at one point in the fourth.
Brunson scored 15 of New York’s final 30 points in regulation, but the Knicks didn’t tie the game until Landry Shamet — who scored all nine of his points during the game-ending surge — drained a 3-pointer from the right corner to knot the score at 99 with 45 seconds left.
Harden and Brunson traded baskets before Merrill’s 3-pointer rimmed in and out with three seconds left and Bridges missed a heave at the buzzer from well beyond midcourt.
Anunoby opened overtime with two free throws for the Knicks, who pulled away as the Cavaliers shot 0-for-4 with a turnover to begin OT.
Shamet’s 3-pointer with 1:49 left extended the lead to 110-101. Max Strus hit a 3-pointer out of a timeout for Cleveland, but New York scored the game’s final five points, outscoring the Cavaliers 14-3 in the extra period.
“Man, shoutout ‘JB,’ shoutout Landry — the guys fought,” Knicks guard Miles McBride said. “The team’s relentless. You never know whose night it’s going to be, but we’re going to figure it out.”
–Field Level Media
