It felt like decades since the Knicks last played a basketball game, wrapping up a quick four-game set with the 76ers on May 10 after their 144-114 dismantling to complete the sweep.
Next up on the chopping block? The Cleveland Cavaliers, coming off two straight seven-game series, recently stood toe-to-toe with the Pistons to advance to their first Eastern Conference Finals since the LeBron James era. The Knicks were looking for vengeance — last year’s seven-game series against the Pacers still sitting sour in the mouths of every fan in New York, particularly the tragic Tyrese Haliburton game-tying shot during Game 1.
What started ugly and looked like it was ending ugly suddenly turned into a miracle thanks to “Captain Clutch” himself, Jalen Brunson. A 22-point deficit, erased just like that, the complete opposite of last season, where the Knicks were on the opposing side of a choke.
Many can say Brunson deserves a statue outside MSG, but it was Landry Shamet who sent the Knicks to overtime with a three-pointer that bounced in and out, similar to the Haliburton shot. In all seriousness, Brunson delivered an all-time performance — finishing with 38 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
When was the last time you’ve heard a team trail by 22 points with seven minutes left, just to win by 11? MSG was spoiled. The Knicks stunned Cleveland behind the brilliance of Jalen Brunson, taking Game 1, 115-104. The Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 44-11 in the final 12:40 between regulation and overtime, one of the most improbable wins ever.
Truly heartbreaking for Donovan Mitchell, who carried the Cavs throughout the game, finishing his night with 29 points and a career-high six steals. However, the Knicks’ surging comeback awoke their defense, holding the All-Star guard to just three points over his final 14 minutes of play.
Directly out of the gate, the Knicks showcased a concerning amount of rust, with the moral of the story being their ice-cold shooting, as they struggled to pull away effectively in the second quarter after leading by 11 due to a 2-for-19 start from beyond the arc. This hasn’t been the case throughout their 10 playoff games, shooting 41% from three as a team, the best overall in the postseason. The Knicks’ strong finish was led by their three-point shooting, finishing 10-for-32 as a team.
As mentioned, the Knicks found themselves leading by 11 with five minutes to play in the first half, even while going 2-for-16 from three. However, the Cavs began waking up offensively thanks to consecutive three-pointers from Sam Merrill and James Harden, cutting the lead to three in just a minute. Cleveland found themselves in front for the first time since the first quarter, ending the first half with a 48-46 lead, going on an 18-6 run to round out the half.
The Cavs’ stretch of dominance continued, outscoring the Knicks 15-8 through the first five minutes of second-half play — extending their lead to nine. The play from the Cavs continued, with Mitchell contributing 10 points in the third quarter. Hope looked lost at the Garden, the Mecca silenced after the Knicks went down 22.
The Knicks are just the fourth team in the last 30 years to be down by 20 in the fourth quarter of a playoff game and win. Their 22-point comeback is the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback since 1997, and the largest since 2012.
In unlikely fashion, the Knicks woke up from their three-quarter slumber to take Game 1. In Game 2, coming out of the gate hot will be vital to their success, as their next contest at MSG is set for Thursday.
