The New York Knicks pulled off one of the largest comebacks in NBA postseason history on Tuesday night, rallying from 22 points down with 7:40 remaining in regulation to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime at Madison Square Garden and seize a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
According to Inside the NBA, teams that led by at least 22 points in a playoff game were 524-1 before Tuesday. Cleveland became only the second club ever to lose under those circumstances.
How the collapse unfolded
Cleveland appeared in full control after outscoring New York by 21 in the second and third quarters. The Cavaliers still led 97-75 late in the fourth, but the Knicks answered with an 18-1 run before head coach Kenny Atkinson called his first timeout of the surge. New York eventually tied the score, and Sam Merrill’s open three-pointer for Cleveland rattled out at the buzzer, sending the contest to overtime.
The extra period was all Knicks. New York scored the first eight points of OT and never trailed again, while the Cavaliers managed just four points and looked, in Atkinson’s words, “mentally fried.”
Key performances
Knicks: Jalen Brunson, limited to modest production through three quarters, erupted for 15 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth. Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet added crucial perimeter baskets once Cleveland began trapping Brunson.
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell posted 29 points and six steals, carrying the offense for long stretches. Evan Mobley contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds and active rim protection, especially in the third quarter. Merrill finished with 12 points off the bench on 3-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. James Harden struggled again, scoring 15 points on 1-for-8 three-point shooting while committing six turnovers.
What’s next
Cleveland has bounced back from rough defeats throughout this postseason, overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the previous round and responding to poor outings against Toronto and Detroit. The Cavaliers will need a similar recovery in Game 2, scheduled for Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. A loss would send the series back to Cleveland with the Knicks holding a 2-0 advantage and the Cavaliers facing intense scrutiny after Tuesday’s historic collapse.
Source: Hoops Wire
