Brunson ignites late Knicks rally as New York stuns Cavaliers in overtime of East finals opener

A comeback that flipped Game One

The Eastern Conference finals opened with a result that felt improbable even by playoff standards. The New York Knicks, down 22 points in the fourth quarter, stormed back to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, taking Game One at Madison Square Garden in a game defined by one extended swing of momentum.

Jalen Brunson was at the center of it. The Knicks trailed 93-71 with under eight minutes remaining in regulation, a margin that typically signals a comfortable finish for the team in control. Instead, it became the starting point for one of the NBA’s most dramatic postseason rallies, powered by Brunson’s relentless attacking and a defensive intensity that changed the tone of every possession.

How the Knicks climbed out of a 22-point hole

New York’s comeback began with a simple approach: keep chipping away. Brunson repeatedly drove to the basket, creating pressure at the rim and forcing Cleveland to defend deeper into the shot clock. The Knicks did not attempt to erase the deficit in one sequence; they built it back possession by possession, a point Brunson emphasized afterward.

“Just keep fighting,” Brunson said. “Keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession.”

The numbers from the closing stretch underline how quickly the game turned. New York closed regulation on an 18-1 run, a burst that transformed a nearly decided contest into a one-possession game. Brunson then delivered the tying basket, making it 101-101 with 19 seconds left to send the Garden into a frenzy and force overtime.

Overtime: New York takes control immediately

If regulation was about the chase, overtime was about control. The Knicks opened the extra period with a 9-0 run, seizing the initiative and putting Cleveland on the back foot. What had been a Cavaliers advantage for most of the night suddenly looked fragile, and the atmosphere inside Madison Square Garden reflected the reversal. The crowd, described as delirious, danced and screamed in the aisles as the Knicks surged ahead.

The opening minutes of overtime were decisive because they extended the same themes that fueled the comeback: aggressive downhill offense and a defensive approach that allowed New York to dictate matchups and rhythm. By the time Cleveland settled, New York had already created separation.

Brunson’s 38 points set the tone

Brunson finished with 38 points, the headline figure in a night that will be remembered for its timing as much as its total. His late drives were the engine of the rally, and his poise late in regulation—capped by the tying score—gave the Knicks a clear focal point when the game tightened.

Beyond the scoring, Brunson’s approach reflected a playoff reality: when possessions become more valuable and defenses become more physical, a team often needs a reliable creator who can generate quality looks under pressure. New York leaned into that dynamic as the deficit shrank, and Brunson’s ability to keep attacking provided the structure for the comeback.

Key contributions around him

While Brunson was the catalyst, the Knicks received meaningful support across the rotation. Mikal Bridges scored 18 points, and three Knicks finished with 13 points, including OG Anunoby. Anunoby’s night was notable not just for the points, but for when they arrived: he scored nine of his 13 in overtime after struggling for much of the game.

It was Anunoby’s return after missing two games with a strained right hamstring, and his late impact gave New York a second scoring threat at the moment the Cavaliers were trying to regroup. Anunoby described his mindset in straightforward terms.

“I was just going to play hard, be aggressive,” Anunoby said.

His late buckets in overtime helped the Knicks turn an emotional comeback into a finished win, ensuring that the rally did not stall after the equalizer at the end of regulation.

Defensive flexibility and coaching emphasis

New York’s defensive versatility was also a theme after the game. Coach Mike Brown pointed to Anunoby’s presence as a factor that expanded what the Knicks could do on that end of the floor.

“OG gave us a lot of versatility defensively and allowed us to do different things on that end of the floor,” Brown said.

The chess match extended to how both teams approached matchups. Brown acknowledged that the Knicks targeted James Harden, framing it as a response to what the game demanded rather than a default strategy. In his view, the Cavaliers were seeking similar advantages against Brunson, and New York was willing to engage in that style of contest because of the confidence it has in its lead guard.

“There is no secret: We were attacking Harden,” Brown said. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’ We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.”

That quote captured the tactical logic of the late stages: identify the pressure points, accept the trade-offs, and trust the player most capable of producing under strain.

Cleveland’s strong start, then a fourth-quarter collapse

For three quarters, Cleveland looked positioned to seize the opener. The Cavaliers built a substantial lead and, as the fourth quarter began, appeared on course for what would have been a third straight road win. The way the final minutes unfolded, however, left the Cavaliers searching for answers about execution and composure.

Coach Kenny Atkinson summed up the contrast between the early control and the late unraveling.

“We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter — they dominated us,” Atkinson said.

The dominance was reflected not only in the score but in the flow: Cleveland’s offense stalled while New York’s pace and physicality increased. The 18-1 run to close regulation was the clearest evidence of that shift, and the 9-0 start in overtime reinforced it.

Mitchell leads Cavaliers scoring; others contribute amid struggles

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for Cleveland, leading the team as the lead evaporated. Evan Mobley added 15 points and 14 rebounds, providing production on the interior. James Harden also scored 15 points, but his overall line reflected a difficult shooting and ball-security night: he went one for eight on three-pointers and recorded six turnovers, more than his five made field goals.

Even so, Mitchell resisted placing the loss on Harden alone, emphasizing collective responsibility for allowing Brunson to take over and for failing to close the game out after three strong quarters.

“Ultimately, this isn’t on him — it’s on all of us,” Mitchell said. “It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough. He understands that.”

Mitchell also said the Cavaliers could have done more as a group to slow Brunson, a point that aligned with how the final stretch looked: Brunson found lanes, got to his spots, and dictated the terms of the late-game offense.

What the win means for New York

The victory extended the Knicks’ winning streak to eight games and pushed them to within three wins of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. In a series context, Game One often sets the emotional temperature, and this one did so emphatically: New York not only won, but won in a way that can reshape belief inside a locker room and inside an arena.

Coming back from 22 down in the fourth quarter requires more than shot-making. It requires a sustained defensive run, the ability to avoid empty possessions, and a leader willing to keep attacking even when the margin suggests the game is slipping away. In this opener, the Knicks had all three, with Brunson at the center of the response and timely contributions—particularly in overtime—from players like Anunoby.

Key game notes

• The Knicks trailed 93-71 with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
• New York closed regulation on an 18-1 run and tied the game 101-101 with 19 seconds remaining.
• The Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run to take control.
• Jalen Brunson finished with 38 points; Mikal Bridges scored 18.
• OG Anunoby scored 13 points, including nine in overtime, in his return after missing two games with a strained right hamstring.
• Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points; Evan Mobley had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
• James Harden scored 15 points, went 1-for-8 from three, and had six turnovers.

Looking ahead

Game One delivered a clear message about the margins at this stage of the playoffs. Cleveland showed it can control long stretches with strong basketball, but the closing minutes exposed how quickly a lead can disappear when execution slips and a scorer like Brunson finds rhythm. For New York, the challenge will be to carry the same urgency into the next game without relying on extraordinary circumstances. For Cleveland, the task is to respond to a collapse that was both sudden and decisive, and to find a way to disrupt Brunson earlier rather than trying to contain him once the comeback is already in motion.

Either way, the series opened with a reminder that no lead is safe when momentum turns, the crowd rises, and a star guard decides the game will not end quietly.