Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers appeared to be on the verge of a massive upset over the New York Knicks during Tuesday’s Game 1 Eastern Conference finals clash at Madison Square Garden, leading by 22 points with under eight minutes remaining.
Instead, Jalen Brunson and Co. mounted an improbable comeback to force overtime and prevail 115-104, with their electric late-game run and Cleveland’s shocking collapse launching the NBA world into a full-on frenzy.
Jalen Brunson Spearheads Knicks’ ‘Soul-Snatching’ 22-Point Game 1 Comeback vs. Cavaliers
New York seemed dead in the water early in the fourth quarter, with its typically raucous fan base appearing lifeless as it went down 93-71 with 7:52 left.
However, Brunson promptly rallied the troops, spearheading an 18-1 run to bring his team within 5 points (94-89) with 3:30 to go after crossing over Cavaliers star James Harden and drilling a clutch 3-pointer.
JALEN BRUNSON JUST COOKED HARDEN. OMG. KNICKS ARE ROLLING. pic.twitter.com/kFEXyTD1KE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 20, 2026
The Knicks never let up after that, with Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet also stepping up to drain big-time triples, with the latter receiving a friendly bounce to tie the game at 99-99 with 44.3 seconds remaining.
LANDRY SHAMET WITH THE KAWHI BOUNCH AT THE RIM 😳 pic.twitter.com/hSmcHas17x
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) May 20, 2026
After Harden responded on the other end, Brunson came through again, continuing his assault against the 11-time All-Star’s lackluster defense by banking in a driving floater to send the contest into overtime.
From there, New York had all the momentum, with forward OG Anunoby leading the way with 9 points in the extra period as his squad capped off its miraculous turnaround behind a staggering 44-11 run.
The Knicks’ 22-point comeback marked their largest in franchise postseason history, sparking stunned reactions on X.
“ABSOLUTE MADNESS,” Legion Hoops exclaimed.
“Unbelievable. The Cavs are going to blow this. Come back, Bron!” veteran NBA analyst Skip Bayless jested, referencing Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ impending free agency.
Unbelievable. The Cavs are going to blow this. Come back, Bron!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 20, 2026
“What a wild turnaround,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote.
The mood has changed considerably here at Madison Square Garden.
What a wild turnaround.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 20, 2026
“This is one of the games where you try to tell yourself it’s just one game and you’ll regroup, but this is a soul-snatching comeback!” Memphis Grizzlies reporter Damichael Cole asserted.
This is one of the games where you try to tell yourself it’s just one game and you’ll regroup, but this is a soul-snatching comeback!
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) May 20, 2026
“This is one of those ‘I hate that I love sports’ games for Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Absolutely brutal,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor sympathized with Clevelanders.
This is one of those “I hate that I love sports” games for Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Absolutely brutal.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 20, 2026
“There are bad losses. There are awful losses. There are catastrophic losses. Then there’s what just happened to the Cavs. They went from stealing home court to truly drawing absolutely dead in this series. The Knicks could be -1000 for the series & it wouldn’t be enough,” FS1’s Nick Wright declared.
There are bad losses.
There are awful losses.
There are catastrophic losses.
Then there’s what just happened to the Cavs.
They went from stealing home court to truly drawing absolutely dead in this series.
The Knicks could be -1000 for the series & it wouldn’t be enough.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 20, 2026
Behind Brunson’s heroic 38-point eruption, New York has not only taken a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, but also extended its playoff winning streak to eight games to the delight of its delirious fan base.
