The Knicks proved they can never be counted out.
The New York Knicks felt something on Tuesday that they hadn't since the early games of the playoffs: challenged.
Hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Madison Square Garden on the heels of a dominant four-game sweep against the Philadelphia 76ers gave the Knicks a lot of implicit advantages, but the Cavaliers reminded them just as quickly that nothing in the playoffs is certain.
While the Knicks took an early advantage in the first quarter, Cleveland came back just as quickly with 67 combined points across the second and third quarters, outscoring the Knicks by 21 points in that span.
They kept on rolling through the early part of the fourth quarter and at one point led the Knicks by 22 with roughly seven minutes left in the game.
New York was staring down it's first playoff defeat in over two weeks, on their home court no less, but the Knicks weren't done yet.
A Massive Run
A three-point jumper by Landry Shamet kicked off what became a 29-6 run by the Knicks through the end of regulation that tied up the game at 101 apiece in the final seconds, capped off with a two-pointer by who else than Jalen Brunson, the soul of New York basketball.
The Knicks had done the improbable and sent the game into overtime with the crowd on their side and from there, it was all New York. The Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run and ultimately outscored the Cavaliers 14-3 in the in overtime to complete a thrilling 115-104 comeback to take Game 1 of the series.
Ultimately, the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers 44-11 from the seven minute mark of the game onward to achieve the biggest comeback in Knicks' playoff history since 1970, which also happens to be the first year that the Knicks won an NBA championship.
Brunson The Hero
It truly took a collective effort for the Knicks to pull of the win. Every player in the starting five scored in the double digits, with Mikal Bridges having a stellar game on both ends of the court with 18 points, five rebounds and two steals, including a crucial steal late in the game that took away a scoring opportunity away from Cleveland.
But it was Brunson that truly stood out. The star of New York scored a game-leading 38 points on 15-29 shooting along with five rebounds, six assists and three steals.
It certainly wasn't the cleanest game that the Knicks could have played and it was a stark reminder that they have to be prepared for anything against a competitive Cavaliers team, but the Knicks have shown once again that no matter the circumstances, they're clearly the team to beat.
