The New York Knicks were down 22 points in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden, and Cleveland looked to be closing out a statement win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Then Jalen Brunson showed why he is called a real clutch player, and the Cavaliers could not stop him.
With that overtime victory, New York claimed the biggest comeback in team history, pulling off the 115-104 win. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson stepped up to the podium and did not hold back on what went wrong.
Kenny Atkinson on the Cavaliers’ Fourth Quarter Collapse in Game 1
GettyKenny Atkinson Delivers Bold Statement Following Cavaliers’ Brutal Game 1 Loss
Atkinson was honest after the game. He acknowledged that his team played well for most of the night, but the fourth quarter was a different story entirely.
“Yeah, it’s a tough one. You know, I thought they hit some really tough shots in that fourth quarter. You know, those two threes, prayer threes, and the shot clock. I think we got a little unlucky, quite honestly. You know, Brunson obviously took over at the end. And, you know, we started double-teaming them and tried to do some different things. But, listen, I’m super proud of the way our group played. We played great basketball tonight for, you know, three quarters. You know, unfortunately, fourth quarter, you know, they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”
He also explained his timeout management late in the game, a decision that got some attention online.
“Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts. I mean, you know, I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One or two point game, I try to hold them, you know.”
How the Knicks Pulled Off the Biggest Comeback in Franchise Playoff History
GettyKenny Atkinson Drops Honest Message After Cavaliers’ Epic Collapse at MSG
Brunson scored 38 points on 15-of-29 shooting, while handing out six assists and making three steals. His jumper with 20 seconds remaining in regulation time was the one that forced the game to overtime, and New York completely dominated Cleveland 14-3 in the extra period to get the victory.
Not only was it the biggest comeback playoff victory ever for the Knicks, but it was also the second biggest fourth-quarter playoff comeback in the era of play-by-play. In fact, the Knicks finished the game with an unbelievable 44-11 run.
Mikal Bridges scored 18, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell was the leading scorer for Cleveland with 29 points, but he was practically shut down in overtime.
As a result of six turnovers by James Harden, he ended the game with only 15 points. New York kept coming and this was a big factor.
The series sits 1-0 in New York’s favor. Cleveland will need a better answer for Brunson in Game 2, and Atkinson will likely be rethinking when to save those timeouts.
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