NBA World Reacts to Jalen Brunson’s Performance in Knicks ECF Game 1 vs Cavaliers

The New York Knicks opened the Eastern Conference Finals with one of the biggest playoff comebacks in franchise history Tuesday night, rallying from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

Jalen Brunson led the comeback with 38 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals while scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. New York closed the game on a stunning 44-11 run after trailing 93-71 with under eight minutes remaining in regulation.

Brunson either scored or assisted on 23 of the Knicks’ final 32 points as New York erased Cleveland’s lead and stole Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The performance immediately drew reactions across the NBA world, with players, analysts, media outlets, and fans flooding social media during and after the game.

The comeback also made playoff history. According to Ryan Field, teams leading by 22 points in the fourth quarter had gone 594-1 over the previous 30 postseasons before Tuesday night.

NBA World Praises Jalen Brunson After New York Knicks Comeback

GettyNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson

Several major NBA accounts and media personalities reacted in real time as Brunson took over late in regulation and overtime.

ESPN posted, “JALEN BRUNSON IS CLUTCH. 18-1 RUN FOR THE KNICKS.”

SportsCenter later called Brunson “THE KING OF NEW YORK,” adding, “JALEN BRUNSON LATE GAME MASTERCLASS AS THE KNICKS TAKE GAME 1 OF THE ECF.”

The NBA’s official account highlighted Brunson’s scoring explosion during overtime, posting, “BRUNSON’S UP TO 38 PTS 🔥 KNICKS LEAD BY 6 IN OT!”

Legion Hoops focused on Brunson’s late isolation scoring against Cleveland’s defense, writing, “JALEN BRUNSON JUST COOKED HARDEN. OMG. KNICKS ARE ROLLING.”

Skip Bayless also reacted after the game, posting, “Jalen Brunson was so great late.”

Robert Griffin III praised both Brunson and the Knicks’ comeback effort.

“The New York Knicks just had their largest comeback in the NBA Playoffs since 1970,” Griffin wrote. “Down 22 with 7:52 in the 4th. Out scored the Cavs 44-11 the rest of the 4th through overtime. Jalen Brunson is SUPERSTAR. Jalen Brunson is a 1-A player.”

The Real App also noted Brunson’s postseason scoring milestone, posting, “Jalen Brunson is the 2nd fastest point guard in NBA playoff history to reach 2,000 career points.”

According to The Athletic, Brunson scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the fourth quarter while repeatedly attacking Cleveland’s defense late.

“Brunson has done stuff like this over and over again,” The Athletic’s James Edwards III wrote. “It’s getting challenging to even write about.”

New York Knicks Complete Historic Comeback Against Cleveland Cavaliers

GettyNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson

The Knicks appeared headed toward a blowout loss entering the fourth quarter.

Cleveland led by as many as 22 points and still held a 93-71 advantage with 7:40 remaining before Brunson sparked New York’s comeback run.

Landry Shamet tied the game at 99 with 45 seconds left after hitting a bouncing three-pointer. Cleveland briefly regained the lead on a short jumper from James Harden, but Brunson answered with a game-tying shot to force overtime at 101-101.

New York then dominated overtime, outscoring Cleveland 14-3 to secure the victory.

According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, the Cavaliers shot just 5-of-17 in the fourth quarter as the lead disappeared.

The collapse also drew attention because Cleveland had entered the series coming off a dominant Game 7 victory over Detroit in the second round.

Brunson’s performance overshadowed strong individual outings from several Cavaliers players. Donovan Mitchell played well throughout the night, while Cleveland nearly stole Game 1 despite not having home-court advantage in the series.

The Athletic also noted that the Knicks’ late-game offensive strategy repeatedly targeted James Harden on defense.

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with a more aggressive scoring approach than earlier in the playoffs. After taking fewer shots during previous series wins over Atlanta and Philadelphia, Towns attempted 14 field goals in Game 1.

Still, the night ultimately belonged to Brunson.

The Knicks star once again delivered in a major postseason moment, helping New York take a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals while producing one of the franchise’s most memorable playoff comebacks in decades.

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