beyond the back page The Knicks looked doomed in Game 1, and then Jalen Brunson worked a miracle By Bridget Reilly Published May 20, 2026, 7:40 a.m. ET Jalen Brunson celebrates during the Knicks' fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 against the Cavaliers on May 19, 2026. Brad Penner-Imagn Images See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google Everything the Knicks touched turned to gold before Tuesday night.
Prior to their nine-day break since sweeping the 76ers, the Knicks looked unstoppable in these playoffs and appeared to be peaking at the perfect time.
That dominance sputtered out early in Game 1. Rust was everywhere on the Madison Square Garden floor. Yet, just when the offense couldn’t look less inspiring and the Cavaliers seemingly were running away with a victory, the Knicks found a way.
After trailing by 22 points with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks outscored the Cavaliers by a wild 44-11 over the final minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime. By the end, the Knicks had churned out a furious comeback to earn a gritty 115-104 win to take the early lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
