Over the first three quarters, Landry Shamet was on the floor for a grand total of 3 minutes and 13 seconds.
He took one shot, which he missed.
Then, everything changed — for Shamet and the Knicks.
With Josh Hart struggling with his shot and unable to stay with Donovan Mitchell, Mike Brown called on Shamet.
He delivered, providing key two-way play in the Knicks’ thrilling 115-104 overtime victory over the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday night at the Garden.
“A lot of fun,” he said after the Knicks set a franchise record for a playoff comeback, rallying from 22 points down in the final quarter. “MSG comebacks are fun, especially in the playoffs. I’m just real proud of our group, because that’s quite the deficit in the fourth.”
Shamet was a big part of it.
On one end, the veteran guard hit three key 3-pointers, including one that tied the game with 45 seconds left in regulation.
He also sank a key triple late in overtime that iced the victory, putting the Knicks up nine.
On the other end, Shamet slowed down Mitchell, limiting him to three points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“One of the luxuries of our team is we have a lot of really good defenders,” Shamet said. “I didn’t really play the first three quarters, and you throw fresh legs at somebody who’s got it going. Just try to come in and compete and be physical, take advantage of the fact that I haven’t played, use the energy I had. Try to compete, communicate and make it hard on him.”
It has been a roller-coaster postseason for Shamet. He was out of the rotation late in the opening-round series against the Hawks and early on against the 76ers — then picked it up when OG Anunoby missed the last two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Tuesday night, he was back on the bench as Anunoby returned. But Shamet stayed ready.
“He played big time. That’s just who he is. He’s a true professional, ever since he walked into the league,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s up to any task you put in front of him. He’s been that player, he’s been that player for us. We have utmost faith in him.”
After the win, Shamet was greeted by John Starks, Spike Lee and Ben Stiller. The celebrities wanted to acknowledge the unsung hero of this victory.
“It’s kind of wild when I think about it,” Shamet said.
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