The Knicks seemed dead in the water. After a cold shooting night and an out-of-sorts defensive performance through three-and-a-half quarters, the Knicks were down 93-71 to the Cleveland Cavaliers with just 7 minutes and 52 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
It would’ve made sense to take the loss and fight another day. But Jalen Brunson had other plans. The All-Star guard led New York to an epic comeback win in the series opener, 115-104. New York went on a 44-11 run over the final 12 minutes and 49 seconds of the game.
After the wondrous comeback, there are three keys to think about ahead of Game 2 on Thursday.
Brunson Burner
What else is there to say about Brunson? The Knicks’ All-Star had 38 points, five rebounds, and six assists in Game 1. He took over the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 17 points.
As he hunted James Harden to defend him on switches, Brunson became the conductor, directing where everyone was on the court. By the final possessions of the fourth quarter, he forced Cleveland to double-team him, leading to three-pointers from Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet.
Though there’s always been some criticism toward his defense, and his reliance on isolation basketball, it’s clear that Brunson is still one of the best shot-creators in the NBA. His excellent footwork and dribble moves are impressive. And he has great touch.
Everything went wrong for the Knicks in this game. They couldn’t knock down a three for much of it, Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to find a rhythm, and the defense waxed and waned. But Brunson’s performance was an example of how a star can steer a team to a win regardless of the situation.
Bad blitz
The Knicks have often benefited from an aggressive defensive style during these playoffs. In the first round against the Atlanta Hawks, blitzing CJ McCollum proved to be the ultimate trump card. In the second round, New York slowed down guard Tyrese Maxey with the strategy.
But the Conference Finals might be the time for the team to dial back the overhelping. Cleveland’s guards Harden and Donovan Mitchell were both ready for the blitz, throwing pocket passes to the screener, who then would often find an open shooter from three.
Cleveland didn’t overwhelm the Knicks from outside, shooting just 16-for-50 (32 percent) from the three-point line. Still, the Cavs have a dangerous pairing of outside shooters in Max Strus and Sam Merrill. Giving those players and the likes of Evan Mobley wide open three-point looks seems like a recipe for disaster.
New York went to the blitz less after the disastrous third quarter. How the Knicks defend Mitchell and Harden in the pick-and-roll will be a must-watch for Game 2.
Less Hart
Josh Hart is the heart and soul of the Knicks, but this might be a series where we see less of the wing. Hart’s role in this series was always going to be a major question. As expected, Cleveland had center Jarrett Allen defend him for much of the contest.
That strategy mucked up the paint for the Knicks. Hart was a -23 in 31 minutes on Tuesday night. He did have 13 points, but he was just 1-for-5 from the three-point line. Allen lurked on the backline as a rim-protector all night.
New York’s run in the fourth quarter and overtime happened mostly with Hart on the bench, though he did step in for a couple of defensive possessions.
Hart has been an important piece to this Knicks team the last few years, but it makes sense to go with high-volume three-point shooters Shamet or Miles McBride, who garner more respect on the perimeter.
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