Jalen Brunson engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history as the New York Knicks rallied from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-104, in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Philippine time), the Associated Press reported.
Brunson finished with 38 points as the Knicks stormed back from a 93-71 deficit with 7:52 remaining in regulation at Madison Square Garden in New York. The star guard fueled an 18-1 run by relentlessly attacking Cleveland's defense before tying the game at 101-all on a basket with 19 seconds left.
"Just keep fighting," Brunson said. "Keep chipping away. We're not going to get it back in one possession."
The Knicks then dominated overtime, opening the extra period with a 9-0 burst that sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy. New York moved within three wins of its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Mikal Bridges added 18 points, while OG Anunoby was among three Knicks players who scored 13 points. Anunoby bounced back late in the game after struggling in his return from a strained right hamstring that sidelined him for two games.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points, but the Cavaliers collapsed late after appearing headed for a third straight road playoff victory. New York outscored Cleveland, 44-11, from the time the Cavs built their 22-point advantage.
"We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter — they dominated us in the fourth quarter," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.
The Knicks stretched their winning streak to eight games and will host Game 2 on Friday. New York entered the game after sweeping Philadelphia in the second round and owning the largest scoring margin ever through a team's first 10 postseason games. However, the long layoff appeared to affect the Knicks early, as they struggled offensively and went just 4-of-23 from three-point range through the first three quarters.
Karl-Anthony Towns credited New York's defense for the turnaround. "But it was our defense that has always been special in these playoffs and that has carried us in this playoffs, that showed up in the fourth quarter and in overtime," Towns said. "It allowed us to be sitting here with a win against a really great team."
The comeback marked the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in an NBA playoff game over the last 30 years, behind only the Los Angeles Clippers' 24-point comeback against Memphis in 2012.
"That can't happen. But it did," Mitchell said. "We play in two days. We can't sit here and let it kill our momentum, kill what we've been doing. It's not a good loss." Evan Mobley finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland. James Harden also had 15 points but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-of-8 from three-point range while committing six turnovers.
