Knicks' Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride praised
- Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride drew praise on May 20 after New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime. - The most telling number was New York’s 44-11 finish after trailing 93-71, with Robinson posting six rebounds and McBride supplying bench minutes. - Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, at Madison Square Garden in New York, with Cleveland facing New York on ESPN.
The New York Knicks’ Game 1 comeback against Cleveland turned on more than Jalen Brunson’s 38 points. New York beat the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on May 19 at Madison Square Garden after trailing by 22 points in the fourth quarter, according to NBA.com. The Knicks closed regulation and overtime on a 44-11 run, the league said, and moved ahead 1-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. Last Word on Basketball said Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride were two of the role players who helped drive that swing. ### Why did Robinson’s minutes stand out if his scoring line did not? Mitchell Robinson played 14:03 and scored four points, but NBA.com credited him with six rebounds, two steals and one assist in Game 1. Four of those rebounds were offensive, a number that mattered in a game where New York needed extra possessions to claw back. Last Word on Basketball said Robinson’s rebounding and interior defense changed the tone of the game as New York pushed back into it. (nba.com) The outlet’s framing matched the box score in one respect: Robinson’s impact came through possession plays and paint coverage more than scoring. ### What do the comeback numbers show about New York’s closing stretch? New York trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left in regulation before finishing the game on a 44-11 run, NBA.com’s game recap said. (nba.com) The Knicks then opened overtime with a 9-0 burst after Brunson tied the score at 101 with 19 seconds left in regulation. The Knicks’ own Game 2 notes said the rally was the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history. (lastwordonsports.com) That statistic helps explain why attention moved quickly from the stars to the support pieces around them after the final horn. ### Where does McBride fit if the box score was modest? Miles McBride logged 16:44 off the bench and did not score, finishing with two rebounds and one assist, according to the NBA.com box score. (nba.com) His plus-five was one of the better marks among New York reserves in a game the Knicks won by 11 in overtime. Last Word on Basketball pointed to McBride’s energy and bench presence in the fourth quarter as part of the turnaround. (nba.com) That assessment goes beyond the raw scoring line available in the official box score, but it fits the broader pattern of New York getting useful non-scoring minutes from its reserve guards during the late push. ### How much of this was still Brunson’s game? (nba.com) Jalen Brunson finished with 38 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals, and the Associated Press recap on NBA.com said he sparked the rally by repeatedly attacking Cleveland late. Mikal Bridges added 18 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Brunson said the Knicks’ message while trailing was to “just keep fighting” and to keep “chipping away,” according to the AP recap carried by NBA.com. (lastwordonsports.com) Those comments came before overtime, after New York had already cut into the deficit and forced Cleveland into a collapse after controlling most of the night. ### What happens next in the series? The NBA’s playoff schedule lists Game 2 as Cleveland at New York on Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. (nba.com) ET on ESPN. NBA.com’s series page shows the Knicks leading 1-0, with Game 3 set for Saturday, May 23, in Cleveland. (nba.com)
