For three quarters, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals looked like a mismatch. The Cavaliers led by 22 points. The Knicks couldn't buy a basket. Madison Square Garden had gone silent.
Then Jalen Brunson took over.
Brunson Leads Massive Comeback
Over the final 12 minutes and 39 seconds of the game—including overtime-Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points as the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit with a 44-11 run.
Final score: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104. New York leads the series 1-0.
This marks the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in the play-by-play era (dating back to 1997). Teams leading by at least 22 points in the fourth quarter had been 594-0 until the Cavaliers blew this lead.
Harden Struggles in Defensive Assignment
Brunson repeatedly targeted James Harden on defense, cooking him in isolation after isolation. In the fourth quarter and overtime alone, the Knicks ran Harden into 21 on-ball screens.
Those possessions yielded 21 points on nine isolations-1.9 points per play. Meanwhile, Brunson made eight of his final 10 shots while Harden and Donovan Mitchell combined to miss nine of their final 10 attempts.
"He's been one of our best defenders in these playoffs," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said when asked if he considered benching Harden. "I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn't think about that."
While Harden can defend post players effectively, his lateral movement couldn't keep up with Brunson in space.
Key Clutch Moments
Mikal Bridges hit two crucial 3-pointers in the closing minutes. Landry Shamet added a corner 3 that rattled in with 45 seconds left.
Sam Merrill's potential game-winner was halfway down before rimming out as regulation ended. The Knicks got the bounces at the end-but they never should have reached that point.