New York Knicks Pull Off Stunning Comeback in NBA Playoffs: How Did They Defy the Odds?

Daniel Kim 2026.05.21 Views

Brunson

[MyDaily = Reporter Shim Jae-hee] With about 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks trailed 71-93. Down 22 points, a comeback looked impossible. But they refused to quit. They mounted a ferocious rally, tied the game at 101-101 and forced overtime, where they completed the comeback.

The New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference Finals with a win. On the 20th (Korean time) at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Knicks defeated Cleveland in Game 1 of the 2025-26 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. After falling behind by more than 20 points through the middle of the fourth quarter, New York rallied to tie the game, then took the lead and closed out the victory.

New York led 23-16 after the first quarter, but Cleveland shifted momentum in the second and the Knicks went into halftime down 46-48. A rough third quarter left New York trailing 69-83 entering the fourth. They still couldn’t find a breakthrough until James Harden’s free throw with 7:52 remaining stretched the Cavs’ lead to 71-93.

The Knicks dominated the middle and late stages of the fourth to erase the deficit. Jalen Brunson, Landry Shamet, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges scored in succession to chip away at Cleveland’s advantage. With 1:17 left, Bridges drained a 3 to make it 96-99, and with 45 seconds to play Shamet’s 3 tied it at 99-99. After a Harden jumper put the Cavs back up, Brunson answered with a jumper with 19 seconds remaining to force overtime at 101-101.

New York seized control in overtime and finished the comeback. Anunoby opened the extra period with two free throws and Brunson followed with a jumper. Anunoby’s layup and Shamet’s 3 pushed the lead to 110-101. Cleveland’s Max Strus hit a 3, but Anunoby made five straight free throws down the stretch to seal a 115-104 victory.

The Knicks entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 3 seed and have now won eight straight games. They rallied to win Games 4–6 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, and now added Game 1 against Cleveland to extend the streak to eight. New York will attempt to run the streak to nine straight playoff wins at home on the 22nd.

Brunson Mobley

Ace Jalen Brunson was brilliant. He started and played 46:24, finishing with 38 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Mikal Bridges added 18 points and 5 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 13-point, 13-rebound, 5-assist effort. Josh Hart (13 points, 7 rebounds) and OG Anunoby (13 points, 5 rebounds) provided timely support.

No. 4 seed Cleveland looked like it might carry momentum from its 4-3 Eastern Conference semifinal win over top-seeded Detroit into the finals. But the Cavs couldn’t stop New York’s fourth-quarter surge. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points, 5 rebounds and 6 steals, and Evan Mobley had 15 points and 14 rebounds, yet their efforts fell short.