Knicks take Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals over Cavaliers

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday, overcoming a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. New York closed on a 44-11 run, according to NBA.com, after trailing by 22 with 7:52 left in regulation. ESPN said the Knicks' win probability had dropped to 0.1% at that point. The result gave New York a 1-0 lead in a series between the No. 3-seeded Knicks and No. 4-seeded Cavaliers. ### How large was the comeback New York pulled off? The Knicks erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter, which AP described as the franchise's greatest postseason comeback. NBA.com said New York finished the game on a 44-11 run. NBC New York said both conference finals openers went to overtime and both were tied 101-101 at the end of regulation. (apnews.com) ESPN said New York fell behind by 22 with 7:52 remaining and still won, a swing it framed through the 0.1% win-probability figure. The outlet said the Knicks also hit six of their last nine 3-pointers after struggling from deep earlier in the night. ### What did Brunson do late that changed the game? (apnews.com) Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, ESPN said, after New York spent most of the night chasing Cleveland. NBC New York wrote that "the best player on the winning team decided to become the best player on the floor at crunch time," describing Brunson's closing stretch as the common thread with the Western Conference finals opener a night earlier. (abc7ny.com) AP said Brunson sparked the rally that turned a likely home loss into an overtime win at Madison Square Garden. Sporting News and Fox Sports both listed the final line at 38 points as New York took the opener 115-104. ### How did Cleveland let the game slip? (abc7ny.com) Cleveland controlled what ESPN called "a perfect game for 40 minutes" before the finish unraveled. The outlet said Donovan Mitchell did not score in overtime, and James Harden committed six turnovers while being targeted defensively by Brunson late. (apnews.com) Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers' coach, said Cleveland entered the series at a rest disadvantage after back-to-back seven-game series against Toronto and Detroit, according to ESPN. The same report said New York had been off since May 10 after sweeping Philadelphia in the second round and had entered Game 1 on a seven-game postseason winning streak. (abc7ny.com) ### Why did this opener stand out beyond the East series? NBC New York and an Associated Press game column both framed the two conference finals openers as unusually dramatic. AP noted that San Antonio's double-overtime win over Oklahoma City on Monday was followed by New York's overtime comeback on Tuesday, making for two straight Game 1 thrillers. (abc7ny.com) NBC New York said the same late-game pattern defined both wins: the leading star on the winning side took over in crunch time. NBA.com's playoff page placed the Knicks' rally alongside the Spurs' Game 1 win in the West as the two active conference-finals storylines on May 20. The league site listed New York ahead 1-0 and highlighted Brunson's late performance in the East opener. ### What comes next in the series? Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at Madison Square Garden, with tipoff set for 8:00 p.m. (nbcnewyork.com) ET on ESPN, according to ESPN's conference-finals page. NBA.com's playoff bracket also shows New York leading the series 1-0, with Cleveland trying to avoid a two-game deficit before the matchup shifts. (abc7ny.com) (nba.com)