Jalen Brunson carried the New York Knicks back from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime of the Eastern Conference finals.
With under eight minutes remaining the Knicks trailed 93-71, but Brunson sparked a stunning rally with aggressive drives to the basket. New York closed regulation on an 18-1 run, and Brunson tied the game at 101 with 19 seconds left to force overtime. The Knicks then opened the extra period with a 9-0 run, and a delirious Madison Square Garden crowd roared them on as they seized control.
Brunson finished with 38 points. Mikal Bridges added 18, and OG Anunoby contributed 13 — nine of those coming in overtime after returning from a two-game absence with a strained right hamstring. “I was just going to play hard, be aggressive,” Anunoby said. Coach Mike Brown praised his impact: “OG gave us a lot of versatility defensively and allowed us to do different things on that end of the floor.”
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points. Evan Mobley posted 15 points and 14 rebounds, while James Harden scored 15 but was 1-for-8 from three and committed six turnovers, more turnovers than field goals. Brown explained New York’s approach: “There is no secret: We were attacking Harden. Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.'”
Mitchell declined to single out Harden for the loss: “Ultimately, this isn’t on him – it’s on all of us. It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough. He understands that.” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson summed up the swing: “We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter – they dominated us.”
The win extended the Knicks’ streak to eight straight and moved them within three wins of reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999.