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Brunson 38, Knicks Erase 22-Point Deficit, Win OT

5/20/2026

48 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Brunson Leads Comeback

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points as the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime.
The Knicks erased a 22-point deficit, tying the game at 101-101 after an 18-1 run.
A 9-0 overtime burst secured the win, delivering the Knicks’ eighth straight victory and the second-largest comeback in 30 postseasons.
Evan Mobley had 15 points and 14 rebounds while James Harden scored 15 points on 1-for-8 three-pointers with six turnovers.

Summary

Towns Double-Double

Karl-Anthony Towns posted 13 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
He logged five assists on 14 shots, reversing his usual assist-to-shot ratio.
The Knicks adopted a five-out offense in the closing minutes, dropping the center-on-Hart set.
Cleveland shot 3-of-18 and committed five turnovers during the decisive fourth-quarter run.
Coach Kenny Atkinson must devise a plan to limit James Harden’s defensive impact.

Summary

Knicks Rally

The Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 1, creating the first overtime in NBA conference-final history.
ESPN Analytics said the win probability fell to 0.1% as the Knicks posted a 173.2 rating versus Cleveland’s 50.6.
The comeback featured a 44-11 run that spanned the final minutes of regulation and overtime.
Since the 1997-98 season, only one of 594 teams down 22 points in a fourth quarter has won.

History

Historical Context

During the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers erased a 22-point fourth-quarter hole to defeat the New York Knicks 97-91, with Reggie Miller scoring 25 points and flashing a choke sign at Spike Lee. The Knicks’ 2024 rally against Cleveland, also a 22-point surge capped by Jalen Brunson’s 38 points, echoes that historic comeback.

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Brunson Leads Comeback

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points as the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime.
The Knicks erased a 22-point deficit, tying the game at 101-101 after an 18-1 run.
A 9-0 overtime burst secured the win, delivering the Knicks’ eighth straight victory and the second-largest comeback in 30 postseasons.
Evan Mobley had 15 points and 14 rebounds while James Harden scored 15 points on 1-for-8 three-pointers with six turnovers.

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