Knicks win Game 1 in overtime

The New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-104 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19 at Madison Square Garden, overcoming a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to take Game 1. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, and the Knicks finished on a 44-11 run over the final 12 minutes and 45 seconds, according to NBA.com. Cleveland had controlled most of the night before its offense stalled late and in overtime. The result gave New York a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series after entering the round on a seven-game playoff winning streak. ### How big was the comeback? NBA.com said New York’s rally came after the Knicks trailed by 22 with less than eight minutes left in regulation. The league had been 1-521 this season when trailing by at least 20 points in the fourth quarter, and playoff teams had been 3-748 over the last 30 years of play-by-play data in that situation, NBA.com reported. (nba.com) CBS Sports described the finish as a historic comeback, while NBA.com said New York made history to open the series. The Knicks turned a game that had been slipping away into a win by forcing Cleveland into a late collapse and then separating in overtime. ### What did Brunson do late? (nba.com) Brunson scored a game-high 38 points and had six assists, with 17 points coming during the closing stretch, NBA.com reported. NBA.com’s John Schuhmann wrote that New York repeatedly hunted switches involving James Harden in the fourth quarter, giving Brunson lanes to attack as the Cavaliers’ defense broke down. (cbssports.com) NBA.com also said Brunson changed the game after starting 7-for-19 and 0-for-5 from 3-point range. By the end of regulation and overtime, he had become the focal point of every key Knicks possession. ### Where did Cleveland lose control? Cleveland led by 22 after a Harden free throw, but the Cavaliers went cold as New York’s pressure increased, NBA.com reported. (nba.com) The Knicks had looked rusty after nine days off and scored only 71 points on their first 82 possessions, yet Cleveland could not hold the lead after playing every other day for the previous three weeks, according to NBA.com. Cleveland.com reported that the Cavaliers “collapsed late and lost Game 1,” while NBA.com said the Knicks’ rested legs showed late. Those accounts matched the closing numbers: New York outscored Cleveland 44-11 over the final 12:45. (nba.com) ### What was the setup coming into the series? The series opened on May 19 at Madison Square Garden with the third-seeded Knicks hosting the fourth-seeded Cavaliers. CBS Sports said New York entered the conference finals with a 53-29 regular-season record and a seven-game playoff winning streak after sweeping Philadelphia in the East semifinals. (cleveland.com) The Hollywood Reporter framed the matchup around Jalen Brunson for New York and Donovan Mitchell for Cleveland, with Games 1 and 2 scheduled at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers had advanced to face New York after winning their previous series and were announced by the team as the No. 4 seed in the East finals. (cbssports.com) ### What happens next in the series? NBA.com’s playoff schedule lists the Eastern Conference finals as a 2-2-1-1-1 series between No. 3 New York and No. 4 Cleveland. After the Knicks took Game 1 on May 19, Game 2 is scheduled for May 21 at Madison Square Garden before the series shifts to Cleveland. (nba.com) (hollywoodreporter.com)