The New York Knicks wiped out a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime Tuesday night, securing a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and registering the largest fourth-period comeback in a conference final since 1997. It was also the second-biggest rally in any NBA postseason game during that span, according to the league.
New York achieved the comeback despite a quiet evening from Karl-Anthony Towns, whose recent assignment as a “point center” had fueled a 130.5 offensive rating over the previous seven contests. Cleveland’s front-court tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen limited Towns to 13 points on 14 attempts and just five assists—his lowest single-game assist total since head coach Mike Brown adjusted the offense.
“We feel like we have the personnel to bother him,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game, emphasizing the need for strong off-ball coverage against the retooled Knicks scheme. Cleveland succeeded in slowing Towns but could not stop Jalen Brunson, who spearheaded the late surge.
Towns expressed satisfaction with the outcome despite his numbers. “The Knicks found a way to win tonight, and that’s all that matters,” he said.
Rotation Updates
OG Anunoby returned after missing time with a hamstring injury. The forward had four points and two rebounds in 29 regulation minutes but added nine points and three boards in overtime. “As the game went on I felt more and more like myself,” Anunoby noted.
With Anunoby available, veteran guard Landry Shamet still logged 14 of his 17 minutes in the closing stretch, drilling three pivotal three-pointers, including the game-tying shot in the final minute of regulation. “He’s up to any task you put in front of him,” Brunson said.
Center Mitchell Robinson was effective early but became a target of intentional fouls in the second half. He went 2-for-8 at the line, and New York was outscored by seven during his four third-quarter minutes. Brown said the club will keep exploring ways to keep Robinson involved, calling him a player who “can impact the game in different ways.”
Organizational Move
Off the court, Knicks owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Sports advanced plans to separate the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers into distinct companies, marking another step toward a formal split of the two franchises.
Source: HoopsRumors
