Knicks rallied from 22-point deficit

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks turned Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 19 from a likely loss into a 115-104 overtime win, erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Two nights later, Josh Hart scored a playoff career-high 26 points and New York won again, 109-93, to take a 2-0 series lead. The swing from late collapse risk to firm control happened in less than 48 hours, and it reset the shape of the series before it moved to Ohio. The Knicks are now two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. ### How big was the Game 1 comeback, exactly? The Knicks trailed 93-71 with 7:52 remaining in regulation before they closed the fourth quarter on a 30-8 run, according to the Associated Press game report and NBA.com’s recap. New York then outscored Cleveland 14-3 in overtime to finish the comeback. (usnews.com) Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in Game 1, and Reuters-picked up reporting said 17 of those points came during the final eight minutes of regulation and overtime. The same report called it the Knicks’ biggest comeback in playoff history. (usnews.com) ### Who drove the turnaround for New York? Brunson was the central figure in the opener, but the comeback was not only about one scorer. NBA.com’s live recap said Brunson and the Knicks rallied together after Cleveland controlled most of the first 40 minutes, while AP described the finish as one of the NBA’s greatest postseason comebacks. (usnews.com) Josh Hart became the leading scorer in Game 2 on May 21 with 26 points, while Brunson added 19 points and 14 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Mikal Bridges also scored 19 points as New York won by 16 and extended its winning streak to nine games. ### What changed between the overtime escape and the second game? (nba.com) Game 2 never required another late rescue. Fox Sports’ play-by-play summary shows New York used an 18-0 run in the third quarter to take control, and AP’s game report said the Knicks moved halfway to the NBA Finals with a 109-93 victory. (nba.com) The result also corrected an error in the preliminary context around the score. Multiple game reports and the official NBA game page list the May 21 final as 109-93, not 109-83. ### Why has Cleveland’s position changed so quickly? Cleveland was less than eight minutes from stealing home-court advantage in Game 1, but the Cavaliers left New York down 0-2 after scoring only three points in overtime in the opener and 93 total in Game 2. (foxsports.com) That sequence turned the series from a narrow Cleveland miss into a two-game New York edge. (nba.com) The Cavaliers now return home needing a response in the next game rather than protecting an early series lead. That framing has shown up in broader conference-finals coverage as the series shifts to Cleveland. (usnews.com) ### What happens next, and when? The NBA’s official playoff schedule lists Game 3 in Cleveland for May 24. The East finals now resume with New York holding a 2-0 lead after wins of 115-104 in overtime and 109-93 at Madison Square Garden. The next concrete marker is whether Cleveland can cut the deficit at home or whether New York can move within one win of the Finals. (wkyc.com) Game 4 is also scheduled in Cleveland, according to the league schedule and local series listings. (nba.com)