New York Knicks Game 1 comeback

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference finals with a 115-104 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, May 19, after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter. NBA.com said New York was down 93-71 with 7:52 left before finishing regulation and overtime on a 44-11 run. The win gave the Knicks a 1-0 series lead and extended their playoff winning streak to eight games. The league’s live blog and Associated Press both described it as the biggest postseason comeback in Knicks history. ### How big was the hole New York climbed out of? The Knicks were down 22 points midway through the fourth quarter, with Cleveland in control at 93-71. NBA.com said the Cavaliers then shot 22% the rest of the way as New York turned the game. Associated Press reported the Knicks forced overtime and then pulled away for an 11-point final margin. (nba.com) Sports Yahoo’s live recap said the deficit was 22 points midway through the fourth and that the comeback pushed New York’s postseason winning streak to eight. NBA.com’s takeaways piece said the rally made history to open the East finals. (nba.com) ### What did Brunson do in the closing stretch? Brunson finished with 38 points and drove the late offense as the Knicks found shot-making after three quarters of chasing the game. The social briefing tied to the official NBA account said Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, the burst that fueled the comeback. NBA.com’s live recap also identified Brunson as the game’s leading scorer. (sports.yahoo.com) The final stretch also reflected how sharply the game flipped around him. NBA.com said New York’s 44-11 closing run covered the last 7:40 of the fourth quarter and overtime. That sequence turned a near-rout into a 1-0 series lead before Cleveland could reset. (nba.com) ### What happened to Cleveland after building the lead? Cleveland controlled most of the night before its offense stalled late. NBA.com said the Cavaliers shot 22% after taking the 22-point lead. Sporting News’ game recap said Cleveland held the lead for most of the game before New York erased it in the fourth quarter and won 115-104 in overtime. (nba.com) Associated Press said the Cavaliers lost despite taking what had become a commanding fourth-quarter edge. The collapse left Cleveland trailing in the series after failing to take home-court advantage away from New York in the opener at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) ### Why did the result stand out beyond one game? NBA.com and other postseason coverage said both conference finals openers went to overtime, the first time that has happened in the conference finals era. That put the Knicks-Cavaliers opener into a broader playoff pattern of narrow margins and late swings. (apnews.com) For New York, the result also added to a larger run through the bracket. Yahoo’s Game 2 preview said Mike Brown’s team carried momentum from a late-series surge against Atlanta into a sweep of Philadelphia before opening this series with another comeback. ### When is Game 2 and where can viewers find it? (nba.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York. The NBA’s official game page lists ESPN as the national broadcaster and shows the Knicks leading the series 1-0. Heavy’s series schedule also lists all games at 8 p.m., with Game 3 set for Saturday, May 23, in Cleveland if the series proceeds on schedule. (sports.yahoo.com) (nba.com)