How Knicks’ miraculous 22-point Game 1 comeback sets stage for domination of Cavs

The New York Knicks made history with a 22-point comeback win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That blowout win secured the Knicks a 1-0 series advantage. Now, New York needs just three more wins to advance to the NBA Finals—something they haven’t done in 27 years. And history is mostly on their side.

Knicks’ feats in Game 1 point to more dominance 

While the Knicks took their time shaking off the rust from their nine-day layoff, the fact that they closed the game on a 44-11 run should demonstrate exactly how good they can be.

New York is just the second team ever to come from behind by 22 or more points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. The Knicks also held the Cavaliers to just 11 points in the final 7:40 of the game. And Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points in the final 12:49 of action. That level of dominance is hard to explain–but it also speaks to a gap in execution between the two teams that will be hard for Cleveland to close.

New York has as many as three games remaining at home against Cleveland. And the Knicks are 5-1 at home games this postseason—though they’re also 4-1 on the road. So, there’s little wiggle room for Cleveland to make mistakes, fail to call much-needed timeouts, and no-show in big moments as they did in Game 1.

History in on the Knicks’ side in a number of ways

Having won Game 1, the Knicks are pretty obviously in an advantageous position. Teams that win Game 1 have gone on to win 77% of series in Conference Finals history, per Land of Basketball. And higher-seeded teams that win Game 1 go on to win their Conference Finals series more than 80% of the time.

Additionally, of the 19 teams that have ever posted an eight-game postseason winning streak, only one has failed to advance to the NBA Finals: the 2021 San Antonio Spurs.

There is more unrelated history working for the Knicks. New York is pretty adept at making monumental comebacks like the one they completed last night. In fact, the Knicks are 4-3 when going down 20+ points in a postseason game in the last two postseasons. Let that sink in. The Knicks have a winning record in playoff games in which they trail by 20 or more.

The Knicks are looking increasingly like a team of destiny. Even WWE superstar Danhausen jinxed the Cavaliers recently. But at the end of the day, the Knicks must continue to execute. And they have to do more of what they did in Game 1’s fourth quarter and overtime—and less of what they did in the first three quarters.

Granted, Cleveland will inevitably make adjustments. They’ll likely force the ball out of Brunson’s hands sooner in the 24-second clock. And they’ll almost certainly do everything they can to mitigate turnovers. But the Knicks showed exactly how much better they can be when they play their way.

Game 2 represents a major opportunity for the Knicks. Teams that go up 2-0 in the Conference Finals win more than 90% of series. And while it’s important to note that the past does not necessarily repeat itself, it does rhyme often enough. Hopefully for the Knicks, that is the case.

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