Jalen Brunson’s 4th-Quarter Heroics Leave Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Micah Parsons, and Fans In Awe
Jalen Brunson stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers with his clutch play in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson (Image via FirstSportz)
- Jalen Brunson led the New York Knicks to a historic comeback, overcoming a 22-point deficit to win Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Brunson scored 38 points, contributing significantly to the Knicks' 115-104 overtime victory, marking the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA Conference Finals history.
- The win gives the Knicks a 1-0 lead in the series and boosts their confidence heading into Game 2.
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks pulled off a comeback for the ages in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It had been nine days since their clean sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Semifinals, and they showed no signs of any rust in their game.
After a strong start, the Knicks lost their way in the second and third quarters. Down by 22 points in the fourth quarter, the Knicks completed the largest comeback in a postseason game in franchise history and the largest fourth-quarter comeback in an NBA Conference Finals game.
It was Brunson who led the way for the Knicks as they came back to win 115-104 in overtime at Madison Square Garden. The win gave the Knicks a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Knicks guard did have help from his teammates as all five starters scored double-digit points. However, Brunson’s heroics saw him lead the scorers with 38 points to go along with five rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
🏆 TUESDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏆
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2026
Jalen Brunson shines as the @nyknicks complete their largest comeback in a postseason game in franchise history (22 points) to win in OT and take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA Conference Finals presented by @Google!
Mikal Bridges: 18 PTS, 5 REB
Game… pic.twitter.com/b2mrmdO1mO
Coming off an Eastern Conference Finals finish last year, there have been doubts about whether Jalen Brunson is the right man to take the Knicks all the way. The Knicks have gone through their ups and downs this season, but Brunson has shown he is more than capable of leading his team from the front in the playoffs.
Brunson has become a fan favorite in the city of New York. His latest performance is an answer to critics and may force them to change the conversation of whether guards of his size are big enough to lead a team to a championship.
NBA world reacts to Jalen Brunson’s performance in Game 1 against the Cavs
It was a memorable performance from Jalen Brunson, especially when it mattered the most. With the Knicks looking down and out, he pulled them out of the mud in the fourth quarter and stamped his authority in the crunch time.
After his performance, the NBA community and even US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to social media to react to the Knicks’ win.
AND the Knicks won too LFG!!! 🏀🏀🏀
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 20, 2026
NBA been basketball been fire the last 48 hours!!
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) May 20, 2026
His fans won’t forget this comeback
— Diva-👑 (@DivaUX_7) May 20, 2026
Jaylen Brunson took over the 4th😤https://t.co/Jo5kaAkDUo
— iso_hoops (@iso_hoopps) May 20, 2026
Coming back from 22 down in a Conference Finals game is insane pressure basketball. Brunson keeps proving why New York trusts him in every big moment. Once the Knicks started believing they could steal it, the whole energy of the game flipped completely.
— DarkInk (@darkink0_0) May 20, 2026
jalen brunson masterclass. down 22 and he just takes over. mikal bridges with the quiet 18 & 5. new york basketball is back
— Poker🃏 (@pokerszn) May 20, 2026
太精彩了!Brunson真是关键先生,尼克斯这场逆转太震撼了。Bridges也表现不俗,期待接下来的比赛,Thursday见!
— 智享 (@CycleDecoded) May 20, 2026
Brunson is my hero ..
— Iyangala Jnr (@iyangala) May 20, 2026
Fans were in awe of Brunson’s incredible performance and were blown away by the Knicks’ historic comeback. The comeback will give the Knicks a huge confidence boost heading into Game 2.
Jalen Brunson on Knicks’ resilience in Game 1
In what could have been a blowout, it was Jalen Brunson who sparked the comeback for the Knicks. After completing the comeback in the fourth quarter, the Knicks outscored the Cavs 14-3 in overtime. The 29-year-old targeted James Harden on defense towards the end of the game.

After the win, Brunson spoke about his team’s resilience in Game 1.
Keep fighting. Keep chipping away. Finish the game strong regardless of whatever is going on. We don’t want to give up ever.
Jalen Brunson in his post-match press conference
"Keep fighting… We don't want to give up ever."
— NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2026
Jalen Brunson on New York's resilience in Game 1!
Knicks complete the largest 4th-quarter comeback (22 points) in an NBA Conference Finals game in the play-by-play era to win Game 1!
NBA Conference Finals presented by @Google https://t.co/szbK4I1Vul pic.twitter.com/mrOLPHLmwi
The win may demoralize the Cavs, which may play a role for the rest of the series. It was an important victory as the Knicks will look to protect home court in Game 2 and take a 2-0 lead before the series moves to Cleveland.
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Rishan Rai
(1042 Articles Published)