Knicks win Game 1, lead 1-0

The New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-104 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, taking a 1-0 lead after one of the biggest playoff comebacks in league history. New York trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter before closing regulation and overtime on a 44-11 run. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, and the Knicks turned a game that had been slipping away into an overtime win. (nba.com) Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points. ### How far down were the Knicks before the rally started? The Cavaliers led by 22 points in the fourth quarter and still held a 93-71 advantage with 7:52 remaining, according to NBA.com’s recap and game summary. Cleveland had controlled most of the night before New York’s late push. NBA.com said the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 44-11 from that point through overtime. The same recap said Cleveland shot 22% over the rest of the game as New York forced its way back. (nba.com) ### Who drove the comeback for New York? Jalen Brunson finished with 38 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, and NBA.com said he scored 17 points across the fourth quarter and overtime. The AP game recap on NBA.com said Brunson tied the game at 101-101 with 19 seconds left in regulation. (nba.com) Brunson told reporters after the game, “Just keep fighting,” as the Knicks tried to chip away at the deficit. NBA.com also quoted him saying, “Find a way. We got some stops, kept fighting, kept believing. (nba.com) We just kept chipping away.” ### What changed late for Cleveland? Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for Cleveland, while Evan Mobley added 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Basketball-Reference’s box score shows the Cavaliers shot 36-for-90 from the field, 16-for-50 from 3-point range and committed 21 turnovers. (nba.com) NBA.com said Mitchell’s last basket came with 8:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, just before the Knicks’ surge took hold. The AP recap said Brunson repeatedly attacked James Harden during an 18-1 run that turned the final minutes into a one-possession game. (nba.com) ### Who else mattered for the Knicks besides Brunson? Mikal Bridges scored 18 points for New York, and three Knicks finished with 13 points, including OG Anunoby, according to the AP recap on NBA.com. (nba.com) NBA.com’s live blog highlighted Landry Shamet’s late 3-pointer in overtime that pushed the Knicks ahead 110-101 with 1:49 left. Madison Square Garden provided the backdrop for the finish, with the AP recap describing a “delirious crowd” as the Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run. NBA.com called it a “miraculous 22-point comeback.” (nba.com) ### How unusual was this result? NBA.com said the Knicks’ finish was a 22-point comeback and noted that both Game 1s of the 2026 conference finals went to overtime, the first time that has happened in NBA history. The AP recap described New York’s rally as one of the league’s greatest postseason comebacks. (nba.com) NBA.com also said teams that win Game 1 of the conference finals have gone on to win the series 78.2% of the time in league history. That figure is historical context from the league’s live recap, not a projection for this series. (nba.com) ### When is the next game? Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET in Cleveland, according to NBA.com’s series page and live recap. ESPN is listed as the broadcaster. (nba.com)