Knicks overturn 22‑point hole in OT

The New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-104 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, and NBA.com said New York finished the game on a 44-11 run across the final 7:40 of regulation and overtime. Cleveland led 93-71 with 7:52 left before its offense stalled and Madison Square Garden turned the game. The result gave the Knicks a 1-0 series lead and produced one of the largest late comebacks of this postseason. ### How big was the hole New York climbed out of? The Cavaliers led by 22 points, 93-71, with 7:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, according to NBA.com’s game recap. From there, Cleveland shot 22% the rest of the way while New York kept extending possessions and forcing stops. (nba.com) NBA.com said the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 44-11 over the final 7:40 of regulation and overtime combined. Fox Sports’ box score shows New York won the extra period 14-3 after forcing overtime with a 30-8 push late in regulation. (nba.com) ### What did Brunson do in the comeback? Jalen Brunson finished with 38 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, according to NBA.com. The league’s recap said 17 of those points came in the fourth quarter and overtime, when the Knicks’ offense shifted almost entirely to Brunson’s shot creation and late-clock decision-making. (nba.com) Brunson described the sequence simply after the game. “Find a way,” he said, according to NBA.com. “We got some stops, kept fighting, kept believing. We just kept chipping away.” ### Where did Cleveland lose control? Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for Cleveland, and Evan Mobley added 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, NBA.com said. (nba.com) But Mitchell’s last basket came with 8:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, just before the Cavaliers’ offense dried up during New York’s closing run. Fox Sports’ team stats show Cleveland finished 36-for-90 from the field and committed 19 turnovers, while New York turned those mistakes into 28 points. The Knicks also finished with a 47-38 rebounding edge and 60 points in the paint. (nba.com) ### Why does the final score look so lopsided after such a close finish? The overtime period was one-sided. Fox Sports’ box score shows New York outscored Cleveland 14-3 in overtime after the Cavaliers had spent most of the night controlling the game. Landry Shamet hit a 3-pointer for a 110-101 lead with 1:49 left in overtime, NBA.com said, and Cleveland did not recover. (foxsports.com) NBA.com also noted that both conference finals openers went to overtime, the first time that has happened in league history. That put the Knicks-Cavaliers finish alongside San Antonio’s double-overtime win over Oklahoma City in the West on the same opening round of conference finals. (nba.com) ### What comes next in the series? NBA.com’s official playoff schedule lists Game 2 as Cleveland at New York on Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The same schedule lists Game 3 for Saturday, May 23, in Cleveland and Game 4 for Monday, May 25, also in Cleveland. The Knicks lead the series 1-0 after Tuesday’s opener at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) NBA.com said the page will be updated as postseason scheduling is officially announced, with Games 5 through 7 listed if necessary. (nba.com)