Knicks erase 22-point deficit, seize Game 1 over Cavaliers in overtime
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NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson delivered 38 points and ignited a furious fourth-quarter charge that lifted the New York Knicks past the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday night, giving New York a 1-0 edge in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left before Brunson repeatedly attacked James Harden to spark an 18-1 burst. His driving basket with 19 seconds remaining knotted the score at 101, completing a 22-point comeback that ranks among the largest in recent playoff history.
New York opened the extra period with nine unanswered points as a roaring Madison Square Garden crowd shook the arena. The victory moved the Knicks within three wins of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 and extended their postseason winning streak to eight.
Mikal Bridges contributed 18 points, and OG Anunoby, returning from a strained right hamstring that sidelined him for two games, joined two other Knicks with 13 apiece. Karl-Anthony Towns credited defense for the turnaround, saying, “It allowed us to be sitting here with a win against a really great team.”
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points. The Cavaliers, coached by Kenny Atkinson, had controlled the contest for three quarters but were outscored 44-11 after building their 22-point cushion. “They dominated us in the fourth quarter,” Atkinson said.
Evan Mobley finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Harden matched Mobley’s 15 but went 1-for-8 from beyond the arc and committed six turnovers.
The only larger fourth-quarter playoff rally in the past 30 seasons came in 2012, when the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a 24-point hole against Memphis. New York, which had not played since completing a second-round sweep of Philadelphia on May 10, hosts Game 2 on Thursday night.
Source: ESPN.com
