The Cleveland Cavaliers watched a 22-point cushion vanish brutally at Madison Square Garden, as the New York Knicks stormed back for a 115-104 overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. What looked like a comfortable Cleveland grip on the series opener turned into a late New York ambush that left the visitors staring at a long walk back to the locker room.
Knicks Claw Back From 22 Down
Cleveland was up by 22 with 7:52 to play in the fourth quarter when New York flipped the script, outscoring the Cavs 32-18 in the final period and then 14-3 in overtime. Sam Merrill’s would-be game-tying three at the end of regulation bounced in and out, the last near-miss before the Knicks took full control in the extra session. Afterward, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson called his team “we are massive underdogs” in the matchup, as reported by Cleveland.com.
Brunson Takes Over
Jalen Brunson carried New York’s charge, finishing with a game-high 38 points in the win, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29, according to the official box score. The numbers on the sheet underline just how sharply momentum swung late in regulation and overtime, giving the Knicks a jolt of confidence heading into Game 2, per NBA.com.
What Comes Next
Game 2 is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with New York holding home court and the pregame spread favoring the Knicks by about 7.5 points. Betting outlets flagged both the line and the tip time ahead of the matchup, and New York came into the night riding a seven-game playoff win streak after its second-round sweep, according to odds coverage from BetMGM and league notes.
Cleveland’s Checklist
The Cavs now head home knowing exactly what went wrong and how quickly it can snowball: shore up the fourth-quarter defense, tighten ball security, and sort out rotation minutes before the series swings back to New York. Cleveland just navigated a gruelling road to the conference finals, and the short turnaround will test how fast Atkinson and his roster can tweak the game plan, according to local coverage of the series build-up. Cleveland.com and league notes had already spotlighted those pressure points before the opening tip.
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