The New York Knicks outclassed the Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-104, in overtime to take a 1-0 lead in the opener of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and sparked a 22-point comeback that helped the Knicks force overtime and defeat the Cavaliers, who were coming off a big Game 7 win over the Detroit Pistons to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Mikal Bridges added 18 points, and three Knicks scored 13, including OG Anunoby, who came on late after struggling for much of the game in his return from a two-game absence due to a strained right hamstring.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for the Cavaliers, who looked in control for long stretches before their late collapse.
Three key takeaways for the New York Knicks victory in Game 1
Knicks attack key defensive matchups
The Knicks targeted key defensive matchups down the stretch, with Jalen Brunson taking advantage of mismatches to swing the game in New York’s favour. Brunson scored 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting in the closing stages.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau put the ball in Brunson’s hands and trusted him to exploit defensive weaknesses. That decision helped the Knicks recover from a 93-71 deficit and force overtime, which they controlled to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Brunson finished with 15 of 29 shooting from the field and made 7 of 10 free throws in 46 minutes of action.
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OG Anunoby steps up in overtime
The Knicks had a major boost in overtime from OG Anunoby.
After returning from a two-game absence due to a strained right hamstring, Anunoby struggled at times during regulation but made a strong impact in overtime, scoring key points to help New York pull away.
He finished with 13 points, with a strong contribution in the extra period, and showed resilience after limited preparation time.
Anunoby helped set the tone in overtime by drawing early free throws and contributing on both ends of the floor as the Knicks secured control of the game.
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Knicks defence shuts down Cavaliers late
New York’s defence tightened in the closing stages, limiting Cleveland’s scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The Knicks forced difficult shots and controlled the tempo, holding the Cavaliers to just a handful of field goals in the final stretch while producing enough offence to complete the comeback.
New York extended its strong postseason form with another key win at Madison Square Garden and will head into Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead.
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