A 22-point deficit became a 1-0 series lead for the New York Knicks after they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026. Landry Shamet hit a high-arching three to draw New York level and Jalen Brunson finished the job in overtime. Brunson finished with 38 points, including 17 in the final eight minutes of regulation and overtime, as the Knicks closed on a 30-8 run and outscored Cleveland 44-11 across the end of the fourth quarter and overtime. Game 2 remains at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, tip-off 01:00 BST.

The read here is simple. The Knicks turned a near-certain defeat into the largest playoff comeback in franchise history and took the opener of the Eastern Conference Finals. With under eight minutes remaining the Cavaliers led by 22. New York closed regulation on a 30-8 run to force overtime, then outscored Cleveland 44-11 across the end of the fourth quarter and overtime to secure a 115-104 victory.

The rally

Jalen Brunson carried the late push. He finished with 38 points and supplied 17 of those in the final eight minutes of regulation and overtime, providing the driving force behind the Knicks' comeback. Landry Shamet supplied the decisive equaliser in regulation, a high-arching, off-the-rim three that found the bottom to level the game. Brunson then steered New York through extra time to complete the turnaround.

Karl-Anthony Towns anchored the interior, posting a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. Mikal Bridges added 18 points. The offensive burst was matched by a defensive flip; New York tightened late and Cleveland's offence stalled. The Knicks shot extremely well in the decisive stretch while Cleveland's attack cooled, that swing explains how a 22-point advantage evaporated.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 29 points but managed only three in the fourth quarter. James Harden, a frequent target in New York's late plan, finished with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting. The matchup focus on Harden and Mitchell's quiet fourth combined with New York's hot shooting to turn the game on its head.

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Context and consequences

Cleveland's late collapse widened as the game progressed. New York's defence tightened and Cleveland's offence stalled in the final minutes, a sequence that commentators and former players singled out after the game. Fatigue was a plausible factor.

The Cavaliers were heavy users of the schedule, playing their 11th game in 21 days, while the Knicks had not played for nine days.

The result carries historical weight. It was the Knicks' largest playoff comeback in franchise history and the second-biggest fourth-quarter rally in NBA playoff records, behind the 2012 Clippers' 24-point recovery against Memphis. New York's win gives them a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals.

Donovan Mitchell framed the loss as a single game in a longer series. "We should have won the game," Mitchell said. The remarks were measured, a posture that preserves the Cavaliers' composure ahead of Game 2.

For the Knicks the takeaway is both immediate and strategic. The closing run exposed how a targetable backcourt and cold shooting can unravel an opponent.

Brunson's late scoring and Shamet's timely perimeter shot will be replayed as examples of execution under pressure. Cleveland must find a way to generate offence late in games while managing rotation wear across a congested schedule.

The series now heads to Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, tip-off 01:00 BST. The winner of this series will go on to face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals bracket.

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Game 2 is on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, tip-off 01:00 BST.

This article was created with AI assistance.