Cleveland held New York to 23 points in each of the first three quarters during Tuesday’s Game 1 and led by 14 points heading into the final period. The Cavaliers were up by 22 points with 8:19 left in the game— then it all crumbled. New York scored 32 points in the fourth as Jalen Brunson delivered a legacy performance, leading the Knicks to the 115-104 win in overtime.

Kenny Atkinson only called one timeout during the 44-11 flurry, while New York just hunted James Harden relentlessly on defense. Atkinson refused to change up the defense, allowing the Knicks to just spam Brunson over and over and over again.

Knicks fans were so exuberant after the win that they began chanting pleasantries about Trae Young and wanting Victor Wembanyama. But hold your horses, Knicks fans. It was just one game, and there are still three more wins to go.

Game 1 was a prime opportunity for Cleveland to wrestle home-court advantage away, as New York hadn’t played in a week, and the Cavaliers were playing excellent defense for much of the game.

How will the Cavaliers bounce back both emotionally and physically? Cleveland played seven games in the prior two series.

New York isn’t in a position to sweep the leg just yet, but the Knicks can certainly take some of the will from Cleveland in this one.

DraftKings Sportsbook lists New York as a 6.5-point favorite over Cleveland, with the total set at 215.5 points.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $400K Shootaround [$100K to 1st] (CLE at NYK)

Captain’s Picks

Donovan Mitchell ($14,700 CP): I rode with Mitchell in Game 1, and he delivered 53.8 FPTS (80.62 at CPT). Mitchell finished with 29 points, five rebounds, three assists, one block, and six steals in 41 minutes. The six steals likely won’t be replicated, but he’s going to garner much of the offensive responsibility for Cleveland. It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a Cleveland letdown and this game turns into a blowout. But in that scenario, most of the prime players likely wouldn’t see a full workload. Outside of that, Mitchell has that dog in him and isn’t going to go down without a fight. He can light up the scoreboard with the best of them, and I like him for a ceiling game. James Harden will likely struggle against the wing defenders New York has and the work the Knicks will make him do on defense.

UTIL Plays

Jalen Brunson ($10,400): Brunson garnered a 34% usage rate in Game 1. Dean Wade did give Brunson some problems, but Mike Brown schemed up many ways to put him in advantageous situations. He is the heart and soul of the Knicks’ offense, and New York obviously found some things in Game 1. There will be adjustments, but I have no doubt that New York will figure out ways to get Brunson going. He shot 29 times in Game 1 and finished with 38 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals in 46 minutes. I’m expecting somewhere in the 40-50 FPTS range for this one.

Mikal Bridges ($7,200): Bridges had his five-game streak of over 30 FPTS in the playoffs broken, but he just missed with 29.2 FPTS in Game 1. The usage rate was only 15%, but Bridges finished with 18 points, five rebounds, an assist, and three steals in 42 minutes. He’s getting open looks because the defense has to account for Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, and he’s shooting at a high clip — 67% from the field and 47% from downtown. Those are not sustainable numbers over a large sample size, but in a series or two, sure.

Dean Wade ($3,000): In three regular-season games against the Knicks, Wade put up 18, 14.5 and 37 FPTS. In Game 1, he played 29 minutes and finished with 22.2 FPTS. Wade has good size at 6-foot-9 and 228 pounds, so he grabs his share of rebounds. His length and agility have allowed him to give Brunson some problems, while the ability to stroke it from downtown keeps him viable on offense. Now, New York got Cleveland to switch Wade off Brunson, but I think — I hope that Atkinson and the coaching staff come up with an adjustment.

Fades

Josh Hart ($8,400): Hart played 30 minutes on Tuesday, but wasn’t on the court at the end. Cleveland left him wide open, and Hart wasn’t able to deliver, shooting 1-of-5 from downtown. Hart shot 41% from beyond the arc during the regular season, but his career mark sits at 35%. Hart could get hot, and he does plenty of other things to make him a solid play — especially if the ownership is low. I’m kind of talking myself into him, but the price is elevated, and the playing time is uncertain. I will have a lineup with Hart in it because there is upside, but I’m fading him for this one.

The Outcome

The Knicks have been potent on offense for much of these playoffs, but I don’t think the comeback in Game 1 changes much for this particular series. Sure, New York found and spammed something on Tuesday, but Cleveland will likely make adjustments to counter. The Cavaliers have the pieces to give the Knicks trouble, and I expect a more muted offensive game. That said, Cleveland had its chance for the split in Game 1.

Final Score: Knicks 103, Cavaliers 99