NBA conference finals both Game 1s OT

The NBA’s conference finals opened with two overtime games on May 19, an outcome Sportsnet said had never happened before in the conference-finals era. The New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime after erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-115 in double overtime in the West opener. Sportsnet also noted that both games were tied 101-101 at the end of regulation. NBA.com recaps showed the results left New York up 1-0 in the East and San Antonio up 1-0 in the West. ### How unusual was the opening to these conference finals? Sportsnet reported on May 20 that both Game 1s going to overtime was a first in conference-finals history. The outlet highlighted the symmetry of the two openers, with each game reaching the end of regulation tied at 101-101. (sportsnet.ca) NBA.com’s playoff pages show how thin the margins were. The Eastern Conference finals opener turned after New York closed on a 44-11 run, while the Western Conference finals opener required a second overtime before San Antonio pulled away. ### How did the Knicks get there after trailing by 22? Jalen Brunson scored 38 points as New York rallied from 22 down with about eight minutes left in regulation to beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime, according to NBA.com’s live recap. (sportsnet.ca) NBA.com said Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Knicks completed what the league site called a miraculous comeback. (nba.com) NBA.com’s takeaways piece said Cleveland went cold late while New York’s late execution flipped the game. The league site’s East finals page lists the result as the Knicks’ eighth straight playoff win. ### What happened in the West opener? Victor Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 24 rebounds in San Antonio’s 122-115 double-overtime win at Oklahoma City, according to Sportsnet and NBA.com. (nba.com) NBA.com’s game summary lists the game as a 2OT result at Paycom Center and shows the Spurs taking Game 1 on the road against the defending champion Thunder. (nba.com) NBA.com described the game as an “instant classic” and later referred to it as a “double-overtime thriller” when previewing Game 2. The result gave San Antonio a 1-0 series lead before Oklahoma City answered in the second game. ### Did the two overtimes come in the same way? (sportsnet.ca) Sportsnet’s recap linked the games through the matching regulation score, 101-101, but the paths were different. New York needed a late collapse by Cleveland and a surge from Brunson to force overtime in the East, while San Antonio and Oklahoma City traded blows long enough to reach a second extra period in the West. (nba.com) The NBA’s official recaps reflect that split. The Knicks game is framed around the 22-point comeback, and the Spurs game around Wembanyama’s scoring, rebounding and shot-making in a road win. ### What comes next in each series? Game 2 of Knicks-Cavaliers is scheduled for May 21, according to NBA.com’s Eastern Conference finals page. (sportsnet.ca) In the West, NBA.com lists Game 3 between the Spurs and Thunder for May 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET after Oklahoma City leveled the series 1-1 in Game 2. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)