NBA conference finals both Game 1s OT

The NBA’s conference finals opened with two overtime games for the first time in league history this week, after San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 122-115 in double overtime on Monday, May 18, and New York beat Cleveland 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday, May 19. NBA.com’s playoff recaps and schedule list the two results as the first such start to the round. Both games were tied 101-101 at the end of regulation, according to NBA and Associated Press reports. ### How unusual was the overlap? The NBA said both conference finals openers reaching overtime had never happened before in the same postseason round. That made the symmetry stand out even more because the Western and Eastern openers also shared the same regulation score, 101-101, before separating in extra time. Monday’s game in Oklahoma City lasted two overtimes before San Antonio pulled away 122-115. (nba.com) Tuesday’s game at Madison Square Garden turned on New York’s late rally and ended 115-104 after one overtime. ### Who drove the two comebacks? Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with 41 points and 24 rebounds in the Western Conference finals opener, according to game accounts and box-score summaries. (nba.com) San Antonio took Game 1 on the road against the defending champion Thunder, then Oklahoma City answered in Game 2 to level the series. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points for New York in the Eastern Conference finals opener, leading a comeback from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit against Cleveland. (nba.com) NBA.com’s recap described it as a 22-point comeback, and box-score reports show the Knicks closed the game with a 14-3 edge in overtime. ### What made the Knicks result stand out even more? (sports.yahoo.com) New York trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter before forcing overtime, one of the biggest swings of this postseason. The comeback gave the Knicks a 1-0 lead in the East and turned what had looked like a Cleveland road win into a loss. Cleveland finished regulation tied despite controlling much of the game, but New York dominated the extra period. (nba.com) Fox Sports’ game page said the Knicks ended the night on a 44-11 run. ### What happened after the West opener? Oklahoma City responded on Wednesday, May 20, with a 122-113 win in Game 2 to tie the Western Conference finals 1-1. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points, and ESPN reported the Thunder forced 21 turnovers. Game 2 also brought injury questions. ESPN reported that Thunder wing Jalen Williams exited with left hamstring tightness and San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper also left with a hamstring issue, with both set for MRIs. (foxsports.com) ### When are the next games? The NBA’s official playoff schedule lists the next Eastern Conference finals game in New York on Friday, May 22. (nytimes.com) The Western Conference finals then resume in San Antonio on Saturday, May 23, after Oklahoma City and San Antonio split the first two games in Oklahoma City. Those dates leave the conference finals with one shared fact already on the board: two Game 1s, two 101-101 regulation finishes, and the first double-overtime-plus-overtime opening pair the round has produced. (nytimes.com) (nba.com)