For much of the night, Cleveland appeared fully in control. The Cavaliers dominated physically and defensively for three quarters, silencing Madison Square Garden and pushing New York to the brink of a crushing home defeat. But everything changed in the final minutes as Jalen Brunson once again proved why he has become the heartbeat of this Knicks playoff run.
Trailing by 22 points with under eight minutes remaining, New York unleashed a stunning 44-11 run across the final stretch of regulation and overtime. Brunson attacked relentlessly, targeting mismatches and carving through Cleveland’s defense possession after possession. The Knicks guard either scored or assisted on 27 of the team’s final 44 points, completely shifting the momentum of the game.
One of the key turning points came when head coach Mike Brown inserted Landry Shamet into the lineup late in the fourth quarter. Shamet, who had barely played earlier in the game, immediately energized the Knicks with timely shooting and hustle plays. He knocked down three crucial three-pointers, including the game-tying shot with under a minute remaining that sent Madison Square Garden into chaos.
“Yeah, he played big time,” Brunson said after the game when asked about Shamet’s impact. “He’s a true professional. We have the utmost faith in him.”
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were left stunned after letting a commanding lead slip away. Donovan Mitchell had dominated for most of the game and scored 29 points through three quarters, but Cleveland’s offense collapsed late. The Cavs shot just 4-for-18 from the field during the Knicks’ comeback and committed several costly turnovers in crunch time.
Mitchell did not hide his frustration afterward.
“We lost. We blew it,” Mitchell admitted following the game, acknowledging the missed opportunity for Cleveland to steal home-court advantage early in the series.
Defensively, Cleveland had successfully disrupted New York for most of the night. Evan Mobley and the Cavaliers packed the paint, limited ball movement, and forced the Knicks into difficult shots. But once Brunson began hunting switches and attacking mismatches late in the game, the momentum shifted completely.
Karl-Anthony Towns admitted after the game that the Knicks still have areas to improve despite the comeback victory, calling it “an expensive lesson learned.”
For New York, however, the victory represented more than just a Game 1 win. One year after painful playoff collapses haunted the franchise, this comeback felt like a statement that this Knicks team may be different — tougher, more composed, and more dangerous when adversity hits.
Game 2 now becomes critical for Cleveland, which must quickly regroup after watching a near-certain victory disappear in front of a roaring Madison Square Garden crowd.
