NEW YORK (Interstat) — Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and sparked a stunning rally from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit as the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden. Trailing 93-71 with 7:52 remaining, the Knicks unleashed an 18-1 run fueled by Brunson’s relentless drives. He tied the game at 101 with 19 seconds left in regulation on a basket, then New York opened overtime with a 9-0 burst. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points, and Evan Mobley added 15 points and 14 rebounds. The Cavaliers shot 36 of 90 from the floor but committed 19 turnovers. New York shot 42 of 88, with Mikal Bridges scoring 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns posting 13 points and 13 rebounds. The Knicks outscored Cleveland 32-18 in the fourth quarter and 14-3 in overtime. The victory gave New York a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 is Thursday in New York.

NEW YORK (Interstat) — Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and sparked a historic fourth-quarter comeback from a 22-point deficit as the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden. Brunson relentlessly attacked the Cavaliers defense in the final eight minutes of regulation, scoring 18 of his points in the fourth quarter alone. He tied the score at 101-all on a basket with 19 seconds remaining in regulation, then the Knicks opened overtime with a 9-0 run to seize control before a delirious crowd of 19,812. The Knicks trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter after Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell had seemingly put the game out of reach. Mitchell, who finished with 29 points, scored six straight points in a 44-second span early in the fourth to push the Cavaliers lead to 87-71. But New York responded with an 18-1 run that completely shifted the momentum. Brunson scored or assisted on 14 of the Knicks’ points during that stretch. He drove past James Harden repeatedly for layups and pull-up jumpers, drawing fouls and converting free throws. With 3:30 remaining, Brunson buried a 26-foot three-pointer to cut the deficit to 89-83. After an Evan Mobley three-pointer for Cleveland, New York continued to chip away. Mikal Bridges, who scored 18 points, hit a 25-foot step-back three with 2:38 left to make it 93-91. Landry Shamet then connected on a 22-foot three-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to give the Knicks their first lead since the first quarter, 99-96. James Harden answered with a 10-foot turnaround jumper to tie the score at 99, but Brunson drove for a 2-foot basket with 19.3 seconds left to tie it again at 101. Cleveland had a chance to win in regulation, but Sam Merrill missed a 26-foot three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left, and Bridges’ heave at the buzzer was off. In overtime, the Knicks seized immediate control. OG Anunoby made two free throws, Brunson added a driving floater, and Anunoby converted a driving layup to make it 107-101 with 2:56 remaining. After a Cleveland timeout, Shamet hit a 25-foot running jump shot to push the lead to 110-101. Max Strus responded with a three-pointer for the Cavaliers, but Anunoby made four more free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. Cleveland managed only three points in overtime, all from Strus. The Cavaliers had dominated the first three quarters. They shot 16 of 50 from three-point range for the game, but hit 35 points in the third quarter alone to build their large lead. Cleveland outrebounded New York 49-44, including 11 offensive rebounds, and recorded six blocks to the Knicks’ two. But the Cavaliers committed 19 turnovers and 29 fouls, while the Knicks forced 17 turnovers and committed 26 fouls. Evan Mobley recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland, along with three blocks. Jarrett Allen added 10 points and seven rebounds. James Harden finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists. Dean Wade scored 10 points with five rebounds. Cleveland’s bench contributed 17 points. For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns posted 13 points and 13 rebounds with five assists. Josh Hart scored 13 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Bridges added 18 points, five rebounds and one assist. Anunoby scored 13 points with five rebounds and two assists. Shamet came off the bench to score 11 points, including three three-pointers. The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ regular-season meetings. Cleveland had won the most recent matchup 109-94 on Feb. 24 in Cleveland. New York had taken a 126-124 victory on Dec. 25 and a 119-111 win on Oct. 22, both in New York. Cleveland entered the game with a 60-37 record after winning its first-round series against Detroit in seven games. New York, with a 63-32 record, had swept Philadelphia in the second round and had won its first-round series against Atlanta in five games. Brunson’s performance continued his remarkable postseason run. He had scored 33 points in a win over Philadelphia on May 8, 26 points in a win on May 6, and 22 points in a victory on May 10. His ability to attack the basket and draw fouls was critical in the comeback. He made 12 of 20 free throws in the game. Cleveland’s offense, which had been efficient in the first three quarters, stalled in the fourth. The Cavaliers shot just 18 points in the fourth quarter and three in overtime. Donovan Mitchell, who had scored 29 points on 11-of-23 shooting, was held to five points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. James Harden struggled from the field, making 6 of 18 shots and missing all eight of his three-point attempts. Defensively, the Knicks tightened in the fourth quarter. They held Cleveland to 1-of-9 shooting from three-point range in the fourth and overtime. New York’s switching defense disrupted the Cavaliers’ rhythm, and Cleveland’s turnovers proved costly. The game featured several key moments that demonstrated the intensity of the matchup. In the first quarter, Jarrett Allen blocked a Karl-Anthony Towns floater, and Donovan Mitchell blocked an OG Anunoby driving layup. Evan Mobley blocked two shots in the third quarter, including a Josh Hart layup that led to a Mobley dunk on the other end. But the Knicks’ resilience in the fourth quarter overshadowed those defensive plays. Brunson’s three-pointer with 3:30 remaining ignited the crowd and began the decisive run. Bridges’ three-pointer with 2:38 left gave New York momentum, and Shamet’s three-pointer with 45 seconds remaining was the first lead change since early in the game. Brunson’s tying basket with 19 seconds left was a driving layup over Harden that showcased his ability to finish in traffic. In overtime, the Knicks controlled the boards and made their free throws. Anunoby went 6-of-8 from the line in the extra period. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, missed their only field goal attempt in the first three minutes of overtime and committed a shot-clock violation. Cleveland now trails the series 1-0. Game 2 is Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York 118, Cleveland 105. Interstat’s ELO system gave New York an 80.20 percent probability to win. New York had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-6. The total score of 219 went under the over-under line of 214.

NBA: Cavaliers at Knicks NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the New York Knicks on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The Knicks (62-32) hold the No. 2 seed and are favored by 6 points, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The over/under is 214. New York holds a 2-1 edge in the season series, including a 126-124 home win on Christmas Day and a 119-111 victory in October. Cleveland (60-36) won the most recent meeting, 109-94 on Feb. 24. Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley has been a consistent force. Over his past 10 games, he has averaged 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. In Cleveland’s 125-94 victory Sunday at Detroit, Mobley played 36 minutes and posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. He also recorded three blocks in a four-point win May 13. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded four double-doubles in his past five outings. On May 10, Towns logged 17 points, four rebounds and 10 assists in a 144-114 rout at Philadelphia. He added 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 108-102 win May 6. Towns also notched a triple-double April 30 against Atlanta with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Cleveland enters the game after splitting eight games against Detroit and Toronto. The Cavaliers have won five of their past 10. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points in the win at Detroit, and Jarrett Allen added 23 points. New York has won six of its past eight. Miles McBride scored 25 points in the May 10 victory, and Josh Hart contributed 17 points and nine rebounds. The teams are scheduled to meet four more times in the next two weeks, including games May 25, 27 and 29.