Madison Square Garden was shaking.
In what looked like a sure loss for three quarters, the New York Knicks flipped the script with a furious fourth-quarter rally, stunning their opponent and taking Game 1 in epic fashion. Down double digits heading into the final frame, the Knicks caught fire when it mattered most — fueled by defense, grit, and a roaring home crowd that refused to let them quit.
Jalen Brunson once again showed why he’s the heart and soul of this team. After struggling through the first half with foul trouble and tough defensive pressure, Brunson exploded in the fourth quarter. He scored 14 of his 26 points in the final 12 minutes, slicing through the defense with fearless drives and pulling up for contested mid-range jumpers like it was nothing. Every time the Knicks needed a bucket, he delivered.
But this comeback wasn’t just about offense. It started on the other end of the floor.
Josh Hart — playing like the ultimate glue guy — brought the energy that flipped the game. Diving for loose balls, flying in for rebounds, making the hustle plays that don’t always show up in the box score. Quentin Grimes clamped up on the perimeter, and Mitchell Robinson controlled the paint, blocking shots and grabbing every board in sight. The Knicks held their opponent to just 15 points in the fourth, turning defense into fast-break opportunities and capitalizing on every mistake.
The crowd? Electric.
As the run began, MSG slowly started buzzing. But when Donte DiVincenzo hit back-to-back threes to tie the game midway through the fourth, the roof nearly came off. After a huge stop on the next possession, Brunson came down and hit a tough floater in traffic to give the Knicks their first lead since early in the second quarter.
From there, it was a war of nerves.
The opponent tried to respond, but they looked rattled. Turnovers, rushed shots, and missed free throws gave the Knicks every opening they needed. Julius Randle, who had been relatively quiet all night, hit a crucial baseline jumper with just under two minutes left to stretch the lead to five. That was the dagger.
The Knicks would go on to win 104–98, but it wasn’t just about the score. It was how they did it — with resilience, toughness, and that classic New York edge. A team that looked dead in the water through three quarters suddenly looked like contenders, flipping the momentum of the series in just one quarter of elite, gritty basketball.
After the game, Brunson stayed humble, as always.
“We just locked in,” he said. “We know who we are. We weren’t playing our game early, but once we tightened up defensively, everything else flowed.”
Head coach Tom Thibodeau, grinning in his own way, added, “That’s what this group is about. We don’t back down. We fight.”
And fight they did.
The Game 1 comeback sets a powerful tone for the rest of the series. The Knicks showed they can win ugly, they can win late, and they can win when it seems like all the odds are stacked against them. With the home crowd behind them and momentum on their side, the pressure now shifts to their opponent heading into Game 2.
This wasn’t just a win — it was a statement.
The Knicks are here, and they’re not going quietly.
