HISTORIC COMEBACK! Knicks erase 22-point deficit to win ECF Game 1 in OT

Knicks Unleashed breaks down one of the most unforgettable wins in franchise history as the New York Knicks complete a HISTORIC 22-point comeback to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals! Jalen Brunson put the team on his back with 38 points, leading a furious late-game rally as the Knicks closed regulation on a dominant run and took complete control in OT. 

From Madison Square Garden chaos to clutch performances by Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, we break down how the Knicks flipped the game, what changed defensively, and why this comeback could define their playoff run.

🏀 On this episode of Knicks Unleashed:
🔥 Breaking down the Knicks’ largest playoff comeback in franchise history
🔥 Jalen Brunson’s superstar takeover in the 4th quarter
🔥 Key moments that shifted momentum at MSG
🔥 Why Cleveland collapsed late
🔥 What this means heading into ECF Game 2

Subscribe, like, and join the conversation as Knicks Unleashed covers every moment of this incredible playoff journey!

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Transcript

Welcome And Game 1 Shock

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Put the new one over here.

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The New York Knicks, it's the never stayed high attitude. This is Tim and it's the New York Knicks finally bringing you the back.

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And New York Knicks talking entertainment. Of course, the Knicks stunned the Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. It's always, it's you know what's the funny thing is with this Knicks playoff

The 22-Point Comeback Breakdown

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run, it's always there's there's all these firsts. Now we have the Knicks overcoming the biggest fourth quarter deficit ever in their playoff history. Um, and again, it's a 115-104 game over the Cleveland Cavaliers. I was at the garden, my throat is blown out, I could barely talk. But going down by 22 with seven minutes and 52 seconds left in the game, the the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers one, excuse me, 44 to 11. I'm gonna say that again. In seven minutes and 52 seconds, the Knicks outscored the Cleveland Cavaliers 44 to 11. They shot 71% from the field compared to the Cleveland Cavaliers 22%. It was one of those moments, it was one of those games when you looked at it, you thought the Knicks were dead in the water. You you you came out, you came out a little, you know, you came the Knicks came out a little flat, but a little hyped up all at the same time. They were only down by one at halftime, and then that third quarter, things just kind of the wheels just fell off to proverbial bus. But then, as always, the real Knicks emerged and they go on that huge run. Like we said, 44 to 11, shooting 71 fucking percent. They rattled off 30 to 8 run to end the fourth quarter in a force overtime. Brunson had 15 of those points going 7 for 9. Bridges drilled a huge two huge three-pointers during that stretch. Damn it, Landry Shammit.

Overtime Swings And Big Shots

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We love him. He closed the game and played all of overtime in place of Josh Hart, drilled the game time three with 45 seconds left. The shot bounced up high and fell into the basket. Eerily similar, of course, to that Tyler. Excuse me, Tyrese Halliburton, infamous shot a couple years back or a year ago. James Harden, though. We have to love James Harden. James Harden in what I like to refer to as the Olay defense. I do not care if it's Ariel Hakaporti. I don't care if it's Pacom Dadier. Whoever James Harden is guarding, just give him the fucking ball. Because that's kind of what the Knicks did. That's kind of what the Knicks did. Whoever was a guy, whoever Harden was going up against defensively the Knicks, you were just like, um, let's feed the ball to that guy. In overtime, the uh the Cavaliers capitalized on uh, I mean, excuse me, I should say the uh actually didn't capitalize on anything. Uh and that I'm like I said, I'm sorry, man. I my my voice is throw I mean like I said, I got home at 3 o'clock in the morning, and I thought I still had to jump in and do it. Knicks scored 14 points, of course, in the overtime. Like I said, we talked about it before. Landry Gamage Ammet with three-pointer gave the Knicks a lead, gave the point the Knicks a nine-point lead with 159 left. You kind of knew it was over from there. We did what we had to do, we got it

Cavs Excuses And Trade Fallout

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done. And I don't I don't want to hear because you were already hearing rumors and innuendos by the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching staff and some of the players that you know we were tired. We didn't get the same advantage of that rest that the Knicks did. But the problem was you look good for 42 minutes. It then's just the wheels just completely fell off the bus. Um, you know what's funny, they got rid of Darius Garland to bring in James Hard and Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers did. And I never I never liked the trade. I think a lot of the um I think a lot of the failures the last couple years were were placed on Darius Garland and not Donovan Mitchell. Donovan Mitchell is basically a one-dimensional player. I'm kind of glad in some regards when the Knicks did not get him a couple years back. Uh, they more went with more with Jalen Brunson. I mean, neither one, neither Brunson nor Donovan Mitchell are going to be mistaken for a defensive player of the year. But honestly, Donovan Mitchell outside of scoring doesn't do much else. I mean, he he had 36 points after three, then scored just three points in the fourth and an overtime. And that's that's what it is. That's that's what he does. He's gonna have his, he's going to have Donovan Mitchell's gonna have his showcased moments. But the problem is this you literally ran into a quality Nick team, and we've said this before, they are built to win. This team is built to win in the playoffs. That's what this this I'm sorry, I don't know what that why came up, but that's what this team is. This

Why This Knicks Team Wins

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team is built to win in the playoffs. The New York Knicks, they are. And you came into an org, you came into a team that was running hot, had a long, what had a long rest, had a long layoff, but then showed again what Mike Brown has taught this team. Mike Brown has taught this team, hey, listen, you have to play together as a unit, you have to be cohesive, you have to pass the ball. I mean, like I said, take take take a look at Carl Anthony Towns. Carl Anthony Towns, once again, had a terrible game offensively. Six for 14. But you know what he did? 13 rebounds, five assists. Now, the biggest thing with Carl Anthony Towns was he was a turnover machine yesterday. He had seven turnovers. The Knicks in general, after his seven turnovers, only had nine. So the so the rest of the Knicks had nine, Carl Anthony Towns had seven of those, which led to a lot of the points early on. Uh Jalen Brunson did play up. Like I said, he did have his uh, you know, he had one of his Jalen Brunson games, 38 points. Was uh what was what was Brunson? Brunson was 15 for 29, played in 46 minutes. It it was it was a game of moments, and they and the next step up to the next stepped up to the moment. And like I said, it's the thoughtfulness of the Olay defense by James Harden and his playoff collapse, which always happens. He's gonna come up with the big shots, he's gonna have his moments, but James Harden was five for 16 for 15 points. Donovan Mitchell was 12 for 23 for 29, also had four turnovers. You had between Harden and Mitchell, you had 10 turnovers. Again, it's the Knicks defense, it's the ability to go deep on the bench when needed. They didn't really have to tonight. I believe the Knicks gave him about 20 points off the bench. But like I said, you you had some big

Rotation Choices And Closing Thoughts

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moments early on to help strike the ship a little bit with Jose Alvarado. Like I said, dammit, Landry Shamut, gotta love him, man. Gotta love him. Played well, played efficient. The team did what they needed to do. I love it though, because Mike Brown ripped up a page that he saw in Tom Thibodeau's book, and that page was listen, play your starters. Play them long, play them deep. And the problem was last year, especially in the finals, and the Eastwood Conference Finals with Tom Thibodeau, he all of a sudden discovered a bench. Tom Thibodeau looked down at the bench and said, Hey, looks my cataracts are fixed. What are these other seven guys doing there? I should play them. You're in the money season now. You're running out of games. You potentially could have 13 total games left for the entire season leading up to your getting the championship. It's time to go deep with the starters, unless, of course, there is injuries or foul trouble. But you play the guys that got you there. You play the system that you playing so well the last 30 plus games, give the Knicks the big credit. They didn't collapse. The garden didn't fall apart, even being down 22 with a little over seven left. There was still those chances of let's go Knicks. I'm gonna try to make it out to game two on Thursday, but I don't know. Tickets are getting a little too out of my range. But this is Tim, this is New York Knicks unleashed. Like, subscribe, do all that fun shit, and I'm out of here.