Category: NBA

Don’t waste youth with the young.

There’s a natural reaction in the playoffs to shorten your rotation — you want to play your best players the most when it matters most. Mazzulla started trimming his lineups towards the end of the regular season from 10ish to 8ish in anticipation of the postseason.

But not until late into the Celtics’ collapse did the team realize that was a mistake or maybe better put, that wasn’t their identity.

Through eight straight wins to start their back-to-back bid, the Thunder went nearly 10-11 deep in their undefeated run before the Western Conference Finals. That may partly be because they’re beating the brakes off of the Suns and Lakers, but more likely, it’s because they’ve fostered a Stay Ready mentality from top to bottom.

Out of necessity, Mazzulla employed a similar strategy during the 82-game marathon of a regular season, but at least to start their series against the Sixers, shortened his rotation. However, by Game 7, he was starting the backend of the bench in Game 7 — a move many fans thought he should have made from the beginning.

With the off-season in mind, Stevens should embrace that mindset in building out the roster again. There will be an instinct to turn nickels, dimes, and quarters into dollars. However, if this CBA era has taught us anything, it’s that youth and depth is a premium not just for the regular season, but for the rigors of every 48-minute battle of the NBA Playoffs war. Whether they’re still on their rookie deals or have team options for next season, the Celtics have nine players that could be making under $3 million next season. Some might not return, some might be included in a trade, but Brad needs to beware of an empty cupboard come training camp next September.

But don’t forget the old dogs.

Tobias Harris was on one. The 14-year veteran was Detroit’s second-leading scorer for a Pistons core of 24-year-old Cade Cunningham, 22-year-old Jalen Duren, and 23-year-old Amen Thompson. In Game 1 against the Spurs, Alex Caruso (age 32) scored 31 points and defended Wemby well in stretches. Landry Shamet was a +25 in the Knicks’ 22-point comeback last night.

The 2024 championship season certainly belonged to the Jays and Brown and Tatum are still the foundation of the franchise at age 30 and 28 respectively. However, it was the collective experience of Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis that helped raise Banner 18. You have to think that if one of those guys was still on the team against Philly, Game 7 swings our way.

Despite the early exit, one of the silver linings of the regular season was the breakout years of Luka Garza (28), Baylor Scheierman (26), Ron Harper, Jr. (26), Jordan Walsh (22), and Hugo Gonzalez (20). Mazzulla will need to lean on that young depth again, but entering free agency armed with a hefty TPE and the non-taxpayer MLE, Stevens will have an opportunity to add a player or two this summer and he shouldn’t be concerned leaning on some old dogs. They may not be able to learn new tricks, but if they can consistently add a different element to the young mix, there’s 15-20 minutes a night for a seasoned pro.

We might need a center.

Victor Wembanyama. Isaiah Hartenstein. Chet Holmgren. Karl-Anthony Towns. Jarrett Allen. Evan Mobley. Jalen Duren.

We should expect to meet any and all of those big men in next year’s march through the playoffs. And let’s not forget how Joel Embiid revealed just how much the Celtics lacked a consistent big man against him in their first round elimination.

Both Neemias Queta and Luka Garza were revelations during the regular season and Nikola Vucevic had his ups and downs in his injury-plaqued time in Boston and even he, the steady vet that has averaged 22 and 11 over 12 seasons, couldn’t add consistency to the center position. With how dominant seven-footers have been so far in the postseason, it’s a chilling reminder just how much Boston misses Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.

The knee jerk reaction has been to ramp up the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade debate and maybe that’s the play. Maybe there’s a trade for a big that doesn’t include Jaylen Brown. What’s certain is that the 5-spot might be Boston’s #1 priority this summer.

It got lost in the historic comeback, but it’s something that will certainly play a factor going forward.

Mitchel Robinson was effective early in the Knicks’ epic 115-104 overtime win over the Cavaliers in Game 1 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

But Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson went to Hack-a-Mitch, and he was played off the floor.

The Cavaliers went to the strategy in the third quarter. Knicks coach Mike Brown left Robinson on the floor for a prolonged stretch despite it stifling their offense.

Robinson went 2-for-8 from the free throw line before Brown finally yanked him.

The Knicks deficit went from 14 to 15 points during that stretch.

“I wanted to give him a chance,” Brown said. “Mitch has been great for us the last few games in that situation. We’re gonna continue to give him a chance. We’ll move him around and do some different things with him. Mitch can impact the game in different ways, so we need him on the floor.”

But when the Knicks mounted their historic comeback, Robinson was glued to the bench. He played just one minute in the fourth quarter and overtime.

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As the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth quarter deficit, Atkinson largely watched it unfold without calling a timeout.

It wasn’t until the Knicks had cut it to five points with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter that Atkinson finally called timeout.

“I like to hold my timeouts,” Atkinson said. “I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game, one- or two-point game. I try to hold them.”

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Avery Wilson, who plays the scarecrow in the 2024 revival of “The Wizard of Oz,” once again sang the national anthem before the game.

He has performed the anthem multiple times at MSG this postseason. The Knicks are undefeated in those games.

OG Anunoby’s injured hamstring prevented him from returning for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals — until he was needed most.

The Knicks’ best all-around performer through the bulk of the first two rounds was largely out of rhythm in his first game in 13 days, struggling to move with his customary speed and ferocity in Tuesday night’s series-opener.

But Anunoby — who reentered the game with the Knicks trailing 93-71 and 7:52 left in the fourth quarter — gutted his way to the finish line, contributing nine points, three rebounds and a steal in overtime of the Knicks’ 115-104 win over the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.

“We had to keep fighting,” Anunoby said. “We’re just mentally tough. We knew we had a run in us. Just play to the end.”

The Knicks’ second-round sweep of the 76ers — combined with Cleveland’s seven-game series against the Pistons — gave Anunoby much-needed time to recover, but the rest came with plenty of rust.

The sellout crowd welcomed back Anunoby with a deafening roar during the team’s introductions, understanding the importance of the team’s top defender to their title hopes — just two years removed from an Anunoby hamstring injury essentially flipping the outcome of their second-round loss to the Pacers — but the excitement quickly evaporated.

Anunoby missed the game’s first shot. His next attempt was off, as was his next 3-pointer, which went long for an airball.

He appeared shaky, his steps somewhat measured, just two weeks removed from a stretch in which he dominated both ends of the floor with explosiveness and decisiveness.

One drive ended with an awkward Euro step and a traveling call. Another possession ended with him fumbling a pass in the lane, as the Cavs turned an 11-point deficit into a 50-48 halftime lead.

Anunoby went to the break with two points, one rebound, one turnover and a team-worst minus-12 rating.Entering Tuesday, Anunoby was averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and a team-best 1.9 steals in the playoffs, while shooting 61.9 percent from the field (a team-high 53.8 percent on 3-pointers).

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“[There was] a little rust, but that was expected,” Anunoby said. “I knew that. As the game went on, the rust wore off.”

Anunoby remained largely invisible in the third quarter, but the game changed when Mike Brown asked him to return with less than eight minutes left and the outcome seemingly decided.

Anunoby missed an open 3-pointer with the Knicks trailing by six with 1:41 left in regulation, but the 6-foot-7 forward then delivered the game’s biggest assist. He took a pass from Jalen Brunson at the top of the key, then swung it to Landry Shamet in the corner for the game-tying 3-pointer with 44.3 seconds remaining.

Anunoby, who finished with 13 points (shooting 2-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3), five rebounds, two assists, one steal and a plus-15 rating in 34 minutes, hit seven free throws in overtime, plus a drive to put the Knicks up six with 2:56 remaining, sparking chants of “O-G” from the thousands who knew what his return could mean.

“I felt good,” Anunoby said. “Just continue to play hard, shoot shots and be aggressive. … I don’t think it was hesitancy [early]. Just as the game went on I felt more and more like myself.”

The New York Knicks mounted their biggest play-off comeback by overcoming a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in game one of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

The Knicks trailed 93-71 with less than eight minutes remaining at Madison Square Garden, but outscored the Cavaliers 30-8 to tie the game at 101-101 before surging to victory in overtime.

It is the second biggest fourth quarter comeback in an NBA play-off game and the biggest since April 2012, when the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Memphis Grizzlies from 24 points down.

"I don't know if I've ever seen that in a play-off game," Knicks head coach Mike Brown said.

"To be down 18, 19, 20 - whatever we were down - and to find a way to come back and win, I take my hat off to my group."

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points in the final eight minutes of regulation time and overtime, while Mikal Bridges finished with 18 points and Karl-Anthony Towns 13 points and 13 rebounds.

"The team's relentless. You never know whose night it's going to be, but we're going to figure it out," guard Miles McBride said.

Donovan Mitchell led the scoring for the Cavaliers with 29 points, although only three came in the fourth quarter.

It was their 11th game in 21 days, while the Knicks had not played for nine days.

"We should have won the game," Mitchell said.

"We're up 22 with God knows how much time - got to win the game."

Game two of the best-of-seven series will take place at the same venue on Thursday (01:00 BST, Friday).

The series winners will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Spurs lead 1-0.

They meet at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Wednesday (01:30 BST, Thursday).

• NBA fixtures & results

The first seven games of Karl-Anthony Towns, point center, had worked better than anyone could’ve anticipated. 

The Knicks offense exploded. Towns was a pivotal part of an attack with a 130.5 offensive rating in that span, averaging eight assists. 

But that was against the Hawks and 76ers, teams who didn’t really have an answer for Towns. 

The Cavaliers are a different animal, and it showed in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals. 

Towns was a non-factor offensively in the Knicks’ dramatic 115-104 come-from-behind overtime victory. He had trouble creating against Cleveland’s versatile and rangy big men defenders Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, limited to 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting along with seven turnovers. 

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“We do feel like we have the personnel to bother him. We’ve got multiple guys who can put pressure on him,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’ve gotta be really good with our off-ball defense. They’ve definitely shifted schematically like everybody knows. It’s been … it’s high level so it’s going to be a big part of the series.” 

Overall, it has been a strong postseason for Towns. He entered the night averaging 17.4 points, 10 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.5 blocks. He has been taking far fewer shots than a year ago in the playoffs — 9.2 compared to 15.8 — but making more of an impact at both ends of the floor.

With Towns on the floor, the Knicks were outscoring the opposition by 24.8 points per 100 possessions. 

On Tuesday, he struggled. He wasn’t dealing with the immobile Joel Embiid anymore. In the end, though, the Knicks persevered as Jalen Brunson took over in crunch time, and Towns didn’t mind that it wasn’t his best offensive game. 

“I think the Knicks found a way to win tonight, and that’s all that matters,” said Towns, who did have 13 rebounds and five assists.. “It’s not about the individual performances, it’s about this team finding a way to put up a win on the board. I think that’s what’s special.”

Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -6.5; over/under is 214.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Knicks lead series 1-0

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 115-104 in overtime on Wednesday, led by 38 points from Jalen Brunson. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 29.

The Knicks are 35-17 against Eastern Conference opponents. New York is 9-4 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Cavaliers are 33-19 in conference games. Cleveland ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference shooting 36.0% from 3-point range.

The Knicks' 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are the same per game average that the Cavaliers give up. The Cavaliers average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 more makes per game than the Knicks give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 28.4 points over the last 10 games.

Mitchell is scoring 27.9 points per game and averaging 4.5 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Max Strus is averaging 2.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 8-2, averaging 120.6 points, 44.9 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 51.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.2 points per game.

Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 109.0 points, 42.7 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.

Cavaliers: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

A few notes from the Knicks’ remarkable Game 1 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday... 

HARD TO BELIEVE

The Knicks were down by 22 points with 7:50 to go in the fourth quarter. That’s when Jalen Brunson went to work on James Harden. 

Brunson scored 15 points in the final seven minutes, hitting seven of his last eight shots. His primary defender during several of those possessions? James Harden. 

Brunson abused the entire Cavs defense – and Harden in particular – down the stretch in the fourth quarter. 

At one point in overtime, Brunson had scored or assisted on 23 of the Knicks’ last 32 points. This was Brunson at his best, picking apart the Cavs defense. Landry Shamet and Mikal Bridges both buried good looks from beyond the arc, thanks to Brunson’s gravity. 

“Sometimes you gotta do what the game dictates,” Mike Brown said of targeting Harden in the fourth quarter. “They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen. And so we said, OK, we feel like we can play that game. We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen. 

“And just like we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and [Donovan] Mitchell, they gotta figure out different ways to guard Jalen. But there’s no secret we were attacking Harden.”

Harden was just as bad on the other end of the floor. He went 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter. You’d have to think Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson will adjust this strategy in Game 2. It was a big part of New York’s historic comeback on Tuesday night. 

CHESS MATCH

Another key decision in the fourth quarter? Brown going to Shamet. The Knicks coach initially went away from Shamet in Game 1. But with the Knicks down 14, he called Shamet’s number. He put Shamet, OG Anunoby, Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns around Brunson. It’s not often that Brunson is surrounded by shooters. But he was on Tuesday night. And it was a significant factor in New York’s historic comeback. 

“We found a group of five guys that went out there, ended up getting stops and scoring the basketball,” Brown said. 

They also defended well, holding Cleveland to a combined 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Shamet’s defense on Mitchell was key. 

Will Brown go back to this lineup in Game 2? Maybe. Will he go away from using Towns as a hub? Probably not. One thing Brown made clear after Game 1: he isn't going to abandon Josh Hart, who sat for the final 9:59 of regulation before entering for defense with the Knicks up nine in overtime.

“If Josh is open and his feet are set, he’s gotta let it fly. He’s made shots. We feel like he’s gonna make shots,” Brown said after the game. “And if he doesn’t wanna shoot it, he can get to his middy or he can go [dribble handoff] with somebody, a quick DHO with somebody. We faced this coverage all year and we played well throughout the course of the year and we faced it in Atlanta. 

"So, we started the game off 2-for-19 from the three-point line. It wasn’t just Josh. We had some pretty good looks from the right people, and if those go in, the mojo is a little bit different. They didn’t, and Cleveland was able to get back into it. The game is about adjustments. We made an adjustment down the stretch, and we were fortunate to be able to come back and get the win.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers fumbled a prime opportunity to steal Game 1 on the road. They crumbled at the end, blowing a 22-point lead in history fashion.

Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

LOSER – Big Jim Harden

James Harden just had perhaps the worst individual defensive performance in NBA Playoff history. Seriously, it was historically bad. Harden was targeted eight times in isolation during the fourth quarter, something that has only happened 30 times in the history of the NBA’s tracking data (including regular-season games since 2013).

Harden gave up more points per possession in those situations than anyone, ever.

Guarding 8 isolations in a single quarter is…something. It has happened only 30 times, Regular Season or Playoffs, in the entire Tracking Era. https://t.co/JyQdw6vxkEpic.twitter.com/WSiwvAGeLI

— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) May 20, 2026

The Knicks had an absolute feast courtesy of Harden.

Jalen Brunson hunted him in a switch that came far too easily from the Cavs. I can blame Kenny Atkinson for that. It’s inexplicable that the Cavs allowed this to happen as many times as it did without an adjustment.

Still, you have to do more than swipe at the ball and get torched any time you turn your hips.

Jalen Brunson Hunting James Harden pic.twitter.com/rlyEGCbdlf

— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 20, 2026

Harden had no chance in these isolations. He’s an upright defender who can only hold his own when someone tries to outmuscle him. A game that’s predicated on craft and shiftiness is going to beat him every time. Brunson took advantage of that and delivered on a massive comeback.

That wasn’t all, however. Harden finished with more turnovers than made field goals for the sixth time this postseason. An unimaginable stat that has contributed to some of Cleveland’s ugliest losses. The margin for error is too tight for Harden to play like this.

Even a 22-point cushion wasn’t enough to cover it up.

LOSER – Prevent Offense

The Cavs, as I’m sure you’ve heard, had a 22-point lead with 7 minutes remaining. That’s bordering on garbage time. But this is the Eastern Conference Finals. And… we’re in an era of parity and three-point variance. You can’t take your foot off the gas.

Those days are gone. You have to sprint through the finish line or risk a collapse. You saw what happened when the Cavs tried to jog.

As much as we crushed Harden for his defense — an equally bad thing occurred on the other end of the floor.

Cleveland’s offense, which diced the Knicks all night long for quality looks, abruptly went away from everything that was working.

No more ball movement.

The bigs? Forget ‘em.

Let’s not even bother going into the paint, actually

What if we just dribbled for an entire possession? That would waste a lot of time.

Let’s dribble for two full possessions.

What if we dribble for every possession?

Can we just dribble for the final seven minutes? Will they end the game if we keep dribbling?

The Cavs played ‘prevent’ offense down the stretch. Grinding themselves to a halt by trying to burn the clock. Each possession waned until the final seconds of the shot clock, which then only left the Cavs with an opportunity to run one action before hoisting a shot.

That’s how you blow a 22-point lead.

Teams up 20+ with 7 minutes to go in the fourth quarter of playoff games were 643-0 …

Until tonight.

(per @NateDuncanNBA)

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) May 20, 2026

Donovan Mitchell and Harden deserve blame for this. Kenny Atkinson, as well. There’s no excuse for making a mistake that has burned many teams before them. This team has overcome enough obstacles to understand what works and what doesn’t. In no world does this team win games by letting go of the rope and drastically changing their approach in the final minutes.

WINNER – Defending the KAT action

Alright, let’s talk about some positives.

I truly believe the Cavs did lots of great things in this game. After all, that lead didn’t appear out of thin air. The Cavs played lights out through three quarters, looking like the more focused and physical team. We know that didn’t last — but there’s one thing that remains a win for Cleveland.

The Cavs neutralized point-KAT.

New York had found success using Karl-Anthony Towns as an offensive hub. They’d set him up above the arch, forcing opposing rim protectors to vacate the paint and defend him outside as he poses too much of a shooting threat to leave alone. After successfully drawing out the big — KAT would set up shop and allow his teammates to screen for each other. Someone would slip to the rim or cause a breakdown, and KAT would handle the rest with his playmaking.

This has led to the Knicks posting some absurd scoring games in the playoffs with KAT dishing out over 7 assists per game.

However, the Cavs are especially equipped to handle this.

Evan Mobley defended Towns and got all up into his airspace. He didn’t allow KAT to put the ball on the floor and made it difficult for him to access passing lanes.

Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen ignored Josh Hart in the corner and instead roamed the paint to clean up any slippage from the backcourt. Allen was the safety, ensuring no one could get into the paint without seeing a shot blocker.

This dynamic sets Cleveland apart as they are the only team New York has played that has two rim-protecting bigs who can handle KAT as an offensive hub. As a result, KAT finished with just 13 points on 14 shots to go with 7 turnovers to only 5 assists.

This is a winning formula for the Cavs. It’s something that gave New York fits, and they can replicate it on any given night.

NEW YORK — As exultant fans leaked slowly back out into an unseasonably warm night in the city, the New York Knicks players huddled briefly near midcourt and embraced each other.

Just minutes earlier, this building had been dazed, silent. That was before Jalen Brunson carried his teammates and this city to an improbable comeback in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Knicks frantically erased a 22-point fourth quarter deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 115-104, Tuesday, May 19 to position themselves three victories away from the NBA Finals.

It was the second largest comeback in the fourth quarter of a postseason game since 1997, the start of the play-by-play era.

Here are takeaways from the Knicks’ victory Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals:

The Cavaliers wasted a pristine chance — maybe the best they’ll have — to steal a game at the Garden

Entering Tuesday night, teams holding a 22-point lead at any point in the fourth quarter of a postseason game were 594-1, a winning percentage of .998. The Cavaliers made it 594-2.

This was, practically speaking, as good a chance as Cleveland will have to steal a game on the road. From the 7:49 mark until the end of regulation, the Cavs allowed the Knicks to ignite on a 30-8 extended run to send the game into overtime.

In fact, if you extend it further, the Knicks closed the game on an astounding 44-11 fusillade that snatched Cleveland’s soul.

“Should’ve won the game,” Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the game. “Even if there was complacency, we were up 22 with God knows how much time — eight minutes? Gotta win the game.”

In the fourth quarter and overtime, Mitchell and James Harden combined to go 2-of-13 for 9 points. The pair was scoreless after regulation. As New York clamped up its defense and forced Cleveland into turnovers, possessions devolved and shots became forced. The Cavaliers were initiating their actions well beyond the paint and they were starting late in shot clocks.

The biggest issue for Cleveland is that it now needs to flush this result and move on. Because a loss like this can linger. It can seep into the team’s preparation and erode their confidence. And falling in an 0-2 hole could

“We lost,” Mitchell added. “We (expletive) blew it. All right, let’s get ready for Game 2. Simple as that.”

Jalen Brunson was a flamethrower in the fourth

This was special. It was one of the world’s best closers willing his team to overcome the improbable. Knicks All-Star captain Jalen Brunson went on an absolute heater, strafing the Cavaliers with clutch shot-making in the fourth quarter. He shot 7-of-9 in the period, finishing with 15 points. During one stretch, he poured in 11 consecutive points to single-handedly shrink Cleveland’s lead to five.

This was Brunson at his best, no wasted movement, an understanding of space and leverage, a commitment to get to his spots. And when he’s like this, the Knicks are very difficult to beat.

Brunson finished the game with 38 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

The Cavaliers need to find a solution to James Harden being hunted on defense

This, to be clear, is not the only reason the Cavaliers blew their 22-point lead. But it was painfully transparent how readily the Knicks were hunting James Harden on defense, seeking him out in pick-and-rolls so that Jalen Brunson would get matched up with him. And every time New York found itself in that scenario, it took advantage.

The Cavaliers were trying to do the same thing when they had the ball, only seeking out Brunson in a matchup.

Needing to launch that massive run to reclaim the lead, the Knicks had to resort to that strategy.

“Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates,” Knicks coach Mike Brown told reporters after the game. “They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, okay, we feel like we can play that game. We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy we can play that game with in Jalen.

“There is no secret: we were attacking Harden.”

The puzzling part about Tuesday night’s loss is that Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t adjust. He didn’t bring Max Strus, a guard who has solid (if unspectacular) defensive ability. In fact, Atkinson called timeout only once during New York’s relentless barrage.

“Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts,” Atkinson said. “I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One or two-point game, I try to hold them.”

This won’t stop in Game 2. The Knicks will continue to exploit the matchup, so the Cavaliers need to find a way — whether it’s avoiding switches, whether it’s sprinkling in zone, whether it’s having Harden drift off to less potent scorers — to keep runs like this from happening again.

Jalen Brunson Hunting James Harden pic.twitter.com/rlyEGCbdlf

— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 20, 2026

New York’s recipe for success in the series: get to the paint

As much as the 3-point shooting struggles were a massive factor for New York falling in an early hole, and as much as its catching fire late was a big reason for the comeback, the more sustainable path toward success in the series is in the paint.

The Knicks outscored the Cavs there by a margin of 60-38 on Tuesday night. This is particularly notable because Cleveland tied for 10^th in the statistic during the regular season, putting up an average of 52.0 paint points per game, while the Knicks ranked 22^nd, at 47.8.

By having Jarrett Allen guarding Josh Hart, and by having Hart leak out toward the perimeter, that left the paint open for the Knicks to attack. Look for Cleveland to find ways to keep both Allen and Evan Mobley closer to the basket to protect the rim.

Because if New York can keep gaining a similar edge down low, it’s tough to see how the Cavaliers can stay competitive in the series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 1: Jalen Brunson was special in comeback

He worked his magic!

A Voodoo King delivered a clutch assist ahead of the Knicks’ wild Tuesday night comeback win, conducting a spiritual cleanse to quell fears from fans that Mayor Zohran Mamdani would bring his “Curse of the Mambino” to Madison Square Garden.

Michael Washington, 46, who goes by the name Tata Tilk, arrived outside the world’s most famous arena just in the nick of time, performing a Palo Mayombe spell about an hour before the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 tip-off.

“I command thee for no more spells from Mayor Mamdani on any team or anyone that interfere with their success. I’m here to protect the Knicks from his malevolent magic,” Washington chanted outside the arena where the Knicks eventually pulled off a miraculous victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was originally summoned to MSG after Hizzoner hinted earlier in the day that he would attend the game.

“It is an incredible run. I am, like every New Yorker, just continuing to hope. Maybe I will be there, we’ll see, but I’m definitely watching,” Mamdani said at an unrelated press conference.

The mayor’s remarks created paranoia amongst fans after the lefty mayor’s hug with Mr. and Mrs. Met was blamed for the team’s brutal losing streak, dubbed the “Curse of the Mambino.”

The “Voodoo King” brought a cauldron full of “secret” spiritual items — including human and animal bones and meteorites — for his witchcraft.

He told The Post that Mamdani has proven he has “magical abilities” to curse New York sports teams and should stay far away from the Knicks.

“He’s basically showing the magic abilities that he has through cursing an entire team, in other words, multiple people, like multiple counterparts, like all at once,” he explained.

“It was a spell to basically not have Mamdani curse the Knicks, because we were nervous about him coming tonight, and he might possibly curse the Knicks, so I did the match for it,” Washington added of his ritual. “He wouldn’t be able to curse the Knicks, so no Mambino curses here.”

And the witchcraft might’ve just worked.

The Knicks staged an improbable 115-104 overtime win over the Cavaliers — overcoming a harrowing 22-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The team’s stunning comeback is the largest in a Conference Finals game since 1997, according to the NBA.

Since 1997, the only larger fourth-quarter comeback to win any playoff game is the Clippers’ 24-point rally against the Grizzlies in Game 1 of the 2012 First Round.

Kareem “Reemo Meerak” Tyson, 46, thanked the Voodoo King for staving off any of the socialists’ sorcery before the epic win.

“Listen, Mamdani, listen, you’ve been doing an amazing job, respectful, respectful. You cannot ruin our flow. You see what you did with the other orange and blue, and that’s not cool. Okay, that’s not cool. It’s gonna lose you brownies for us,” Tyson, a social media personality from Harlem, said.

“I feel amazing. Thank God. Thank you [Voodoo King] for what you’ve been doing so far for protection.”

A group of friends, Nick Ellard, James Questel, and Aidan Jordan, also gathered outside the arena to watch the game — and made their feelings about the Mamdani curse crystal clear.

“I’d love him to stay as far away from the team as possible,” said Jordan, a 20-year-old college student from Long Island.

“Don’t hug anybody. Tell him to pay for some waters for everybody,” Elleard, 20, added.

Madison Square Garden went electric when the Knicks’ customary spark went out.

As the Knicks mounted a miraculous 22-point comeback to steal a 115-104 overtime win over the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Josh Hart was glued to the bench for nearly the entire fourth quarter and the extra session due to his shaky shooting, as Mike Brown turned to Landry Shamet down the stretch.

Shamet validated the decision by hitting a game-tying corner 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation, then added another in overtime, finishing with a team-best plus-20 rating.

Hart, who finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, posted a team-worst minus-23 rating in 30 minutes after making just one of five 3-pointers, but the aesthetics were worse than the numbers.

Hart was efficient when he attacked the paint, repeatedly beating Cleveland with a series of spin moves, but the streaky shooter received no respect from Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, whose defenders slouched off him on the perimeter.

Hart missed each of his first four 3-pointers — one barely grazed the rim, another’s flight path barely went above the rim, another hit nothing — as the Knicks missed 17 of their 19 attempted 3-pointers in the first half.

Before the playoffs began, Brown noted he was aware that Hart might be tested despite the 31-year-old making a career-high 41.3 percent of 3-pointers this season. And despite Hart’s benching fueling a historic comeback, the Knicks coach didn’t believe his starter’s confidence should be shaken.

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“If Josh is open, he’s gotta let it fly,” Brown said after the win. “He’s made shots. We feel like he’ll make shots. If he doesn’t want to shoot it, he can get to his middie or [dribble handoff] with somebody. Josh, we faced this coverage all year. And played well throughout the course of the year. And faced it in Atlanta. We started the game off 2-for-19 from the 3-point line. … If those go in, the mojo is a little bit different.”

Three years ago, Hart — who had been acquired in February 2023 — helped the Knicks earn their first postseason series victory in a decade, against the Cavaliers, with extraordinary defense against Donovan Mitchell and 5-for-11 shooting on 3-pointers, including a go-ahead shot from outside in the final minutes of their Game 1 win in Cleveland.

Usually, when Hart goes cold, the Knicks go with him.

In the 2023 second-round loss to No. 8 seed Miami, Hart shot 5-for-21 on 3-pointers. When the Knicks fell apart in the second round against the Pacers in 2024, Hart went 6-for-22 from deep. And last year, Hart shot 2-for-11 in the Knicks’ first conference finals appearance in a quarter century.

In this postseason run, Hart has been a constant on both ends of the floor, filling up every column of the boxscore.

But his shooting has remained erratic.

He was just 5-for-23 from 3-point range in the first round against the Hawks and was 2-for-11 through the first three games against the 76ers, before hitting four of six in the second-round clincher.

The Cavs are certain to return to the one strategy that worked.

“I got to go out there, shoot the ball with confidence,” Hart, who wasn’t available to the media after the win, said recently. “I’m a good shooter, I know I’m a good shooter. I trust my work.”

Madison Square Garden was deflated. The Knicks, down by 22 in the fourth quarter, appeared headed at rapid speed to take a series-defining loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals for a second straight season on Tuesday night.

And then something happened that had never happened before. Per Nate Duncan, teams down 20 in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter of a playoff game were 0-643 in the play-by-play era. 

A 44-11 run by New York over the final 12:55 combined minutes of the fourth and overtime sealed a 115-104 win.

“I gotta give my group credit, they’ve been resilient all year,” head coach MikeBrown said, adding that the Cavaliers to that point were  “shooting the ball well, they were turning us over, they were getting the ball in the pocket, and taking advantage of us.”

“And we just found a way,” Brown said. “We found a group of five guys that went out there, ended up getting stops and scoring the basketball.”

“Obviously,” the head coach continued, “we don’t get it done if Jalen Brunson doesn’t play like one of the MVP guys in the league.”

"He's an amazing player,” OG Anunoby, who added 13 points, said. “I'm happy he's on our team. I think we're all happy he's on our team."

Down 93-71, Brunson scored 15 points, including 11 straight at one point, and added two assists to send the game to OT.

“He was phenomenal,” Brown said.

Brunson said he was "just being in attack mode" during the fourth. 

"Just trying tring to find seams to get to where I could be comfortable," he said. "Finally, one [three] did go down, that's just because of the rhythm I created from the shots beforehand."

The guard started the night by missing his first five three-pointers before he connected from deep to cut the lead to five with 3:30 to play in the fourth 

“Brunson obviously took over at the end,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We started double-teaming him, trying to do some different things… they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”

Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 29 points, said there was nothing they could do now other than look at the film and get ready for Game 2 on Thursday. 

"He was a little comfortable. We could've done some things collectively, and we didn't, and that's on us," Mitchell said.

For the game, the Knicks' leader finished with 38 points on 15-for-29 shooting with six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and was a plus-15 in 47 minutes.

Atkinson added that he felt the Cavs held Brunson “in check most of the game.”

“Basically, the fourth quarter he got loose,” he said. “We definitely tried to mix up some stuff, throw some stuff at him. We’ll have to keep looking at it. There was a lot of tough floaters, and hit that tough, contested three.” 

At one point late in the game with the Knicks down, Brunson got animated in the huddle. 

“He’s a leader. He’s our guy. And he felt we needed to play faster, he felt we needed to be better defensively,” Brown said. “There were a couple things he felt and he made sure we knew. And our guys responded to him.” 

Brunson said the message in the huddle was to "keep fighting."

"Keep chipping away, we're not gonna get it back in one possession," he said. "Most importantly, sticking together, no matter how that game finished, habits translate; they get transferred to the next game. So just finishing the game strong, regardless of whatever's going on. Making sure everyone has the right habits."

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.

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“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.

The Landry Shamet 3-pointer from MSG pic.twitter.com/y4ZrpK31HG

— Jared Schwartz (@jschwartz115) May 20, 2026

“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.

Kenny Atkinson attempted to explain the rationale for his curious decision-making in the fourth quarter as his Cavaliers watched a 22-point lead disappear.

The Cavaliers coach was ripped by fans and analysts on Tuesday night after the Knicks completed a 115-104 comeback win to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Questions mounted over his decision to call just one timeout while the Knicks went on a 30-8 run in the final quarter, and over why he left James Harden in the game as he got torched by New York. 

The questionable decision to take one timeout amid a catastrophic collapse was a result of Atkinson saying he likes to “hold my timeouts.” 

“I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One- or two-point game, I try to hold them,” he bizarrely explained. 

But that wasn’t the only odd response following the Cavs loss. 

Harden’s defense left much to be desired, and Jalen Brunson, who finished with 38 points while leading the Knicks’ comeback, lit up the 36-year-old whenever he guarded him. 

But Atkinson never gave a thought to taking Harden out of the game. 

2 MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS of Jalen Brunson HUNTING James Harden in the 4th and OT pic.twitter.com/SzqflCwZ4j

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 20, 2026

“He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn’t think about that,” the Cavs coach said. 

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The Cavaliers will need to regroup after the ugly loss that many have described as a “choke job,” including NBA legend and “Inside the NBA” analyst Charles Barkley. 

“I don’t like to get on TV and say people choked, but that was a damn choke job,” he said on air.

Fellow analyst and NBA great Shaquille O’Neal questioned Atkinson, saying, “I don’t think the coach of the Cavaliers had a great use of timeouts.” 

“He let the lead go from 20 to six and never called a timeout,” Barkley added.  

It was a quarter to remember for Landry Shamet and the Knicks.

Down 22 points to the Cavaliers with less than eight minutes to go in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Shamet helped New York orchestrate their largest comeback victory in franchise playoff history.

While Jalen Brunson exploded for 15 points to lead the comeback, Shamet's defense and clutch shot-making gave the Knicks captain some help in the team's improbable 115-104 victory in overtime on Tuesday night.

"Landry Shamet was great. He was great on both ends of the floor. He came up big," head coach Mike Brown said after the win. "You’re not going to stop a guy like Donovan Mitchell. Landry tried like heck to make him work. He was fantastic. He was the difference in the ballgame tonight on both ends of the floor."

"He played big time," Brunson said of Shamet. "He's up to any task that you put in front of him. He's been that player for us, and we have the utmost faith in him."

The Cavaliers star went for a team-high 29 points, but in the final frame, he scored just three on 1 of 4 shooting thanks to Shamet. 

"He didn’t just change the game with the clutch shots, but defensively bringing energy," Miles McBride said of Shamet. "Getting hands on deflections and picking up full court. Things like that inspires the whole team." 

For Shamet, he credited Game 1's defense on Mitchell on the Knicks' depth. Shamet played just three minutes through the first three quarters -- all in the first half -- so he had the energy to stay with Mitchell in the fourth.

"One of the luxuries of our team is we got a lot of really good primary on-ball, primary off-the-ball defenders. Team defenders," Shamet explained. "I didn’t really play the first three quarters and then you throw fresh legs at someone whose got it going. Just come in try to compete, be physical, take advantage that I didn’t play. Use the energy that I had. That's really it. Compete, communicate, make it hard on him. He's a helluva player.

"We expect him to have a good game against us. Gotta give him his credit, he really hurt us. We have to make adjustments. We were connected, played hard and was physical." 

Although the Knicks applauded Shamet's defense in the fourth quarter, he made some timely shots, including a three-pointer with less than a minute to go that tied the game at 99 apiece. Shamet said he was saying "just stay down" as it rattled around the rim before going through the hoop. 

"I didn’t realize at the time that one would have tied up," Shamet said of the shot. "That's where you kinda want to be. When you're flowing, you don't want to be thinking about things. The ball found me, I was open in transition, let the ball fly and it went in."

Shamet would also make an open three in overtime after Brunson found him, which put the Knicks up nine with 1:49 remaining, and essentially sealed the win for New York. That play embodied Brown's mindset, and when the first-year Knicks coach was asked why he went with Shamet in the fourth, he said he wanted a shooter on the perimeter against the Cavs defense, who play big. And if Cleveland decided to put a bigger defender on Shamet, he would exploit it. 

He also needed to space the floor while Brunson continued to dissect the defense in the paint.

"Defensively, Landry’s a big guard, he’s physical, and he can defend without foul," Brown said. "To play him, knowing they will pack the paint when Jalen comes and the sprays are going to be there. And that’s what we decided to do."

There was a point in the fourth when the team was still down 17 in the fourth and Shamet was visibly trying to fire up his teammates. Shamet said he knew it was a turning point in the game and that they had to go for it.

"If you’re going to make it run, that’s when you have to do it," Shamet said. "Might as well throw your best punch at that point, do what you can. You have to leave it all out there, especially this time of the year. That’s what we did. We have a group that didn’t flinch at the deficit. We made something happen."

The Knicks look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead when they host the Cavs against on Thursday night.