Getty

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on December 29, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks were done. Down 22 points with under eight minutes remaining at Madison Square Garden, they had been outplayed for three quarters by a Cleveland Cavaliers team that arrived in New York with something to prove. The crowd was quiet. The deficit was real.

Then Jalen Brunson started moving.

The Knicks went on a monumental run to send the game to OT, where they outscored Cleveland 14-3 and walked away with a 115-104 win. After the game, Donovan Mitchell did not sugarcoat what had happened.

Mitchell Drops Blunt Take

“I said in the locker room…we lost, we fu*king blew it,” Mitchell revealed postgame.

The Cavaliers had led by 22 points in the fourth quarter of a road game in the Eastern Conference Finals. They had controlled the first three quarters, quieted Madison Square Garden, and put themselves in position to steal home court.

Then the Knicks changed the game.

Brunson scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, repeatedly steering the action toward the matchup Cleveland least wanted. Shamet’s three gave New York life. Brunson’s late bucket gave the Knicks another answer. Overtime gave them control.

Mitchell finished with 29 points, six steals, five rebounds, and three assists. His individual numbers were strong. His team’s finish was not.

Cleveland went cold, turned the ball over, and lost the grip it had spent most of the night building. The Knicks took full advantage.

How the Knicks Flipped Game 1

Through three quarters, Cleveland had done enough to make the game feel out of reach. The Cavaliers slowed New York’s rhythm, forced the Knicks into uncomfortable possessions, and created the kind of separation that usually ends a playoff game.

Then New York changed the shape of the floor.

The Knicks went smaller, spaced Cleveland out, and forced the Cavaliers into decisions they did not want to make. Harden became part of the target. New York kept pulling Cleveland into actions that left him exposed, and Brunson did what Brunson does when he finds a pressure point.

He kept pressing.

The Knicks did not stumble into the comeback. They built it possession by possession, matchup by matchup, until Cleveland’s lead was gone and the building had changed completely.

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 19: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks drives against the Cleveland Cavaliers during overtime in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Why Cleveland’s Problem Is Real

Cleveland had just played 14 games across the first two rounds, including a Game 7 win over Detroit two days earlier. The fatigue was real. So was the opportunity.

The Cavaliers had a chance to steal Game 1 on the road, change the pressure of the series, and put the Knicks in the same position New York found itself in last year against Indiana.

Instead, the Knicks flipped the feeling.

That is what makes this one sting. New York knows what it feels like to lose a Game 1 overtime crusher in the Eastern Conference Finals. Last year, that loss to the Pacers followed the Knicks for the rest of the series.

This time, they handed that weight to someone else. Now Cleveland has to answer with the memory of a 22-point lead sitting right there.

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 19: Jalen Brunson #11 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks embrace after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 during overtime in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Knicks

The Cavaliers had the game. The Knicks took it anyway. Cleveland has enough talent to respond, and Game 2 will come quickly. But the Knicks changed the tone.

Last year, Game 1 haunted them.

This time, they made sure someone else had to carry it.