Knicks' NBA Finals Odds Make Major Leap After Gritty Comeback Win in Game 1 vs. Cavs

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was in the Cleveland Cavaliers' hands, and then Jalen Brunson took it from them.

Brunson put together a dominant fourth quarter, finishing with 38 points and six assists to help the New York Knicks erase a 22-point deficit, force overtime and eventually win Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

It was one of the most improbable comebacks in playoff history, and the Knicks' odds to win the NBA Finals are on the rise because of it.

Knicks 22-point comeback win is their largest in playoff franchise history.

It’s also the second-largest fourth quarter comeback by any team in the play-by-play era, trailing only the Clippers 24-point comeback in 2012 West First Round (since 1996-97)
— Knicks Stats (@NY_Knicks_Stats) May 20, 2026

Before the Knicks comeback tonight, teams in last 30 seasons were 594-1 when leading by 22+ points in fourth quarter of a playoff game. The only other win was by Clippers, who rallied from 24 down to beat Grizzlies in Game 1 in 2012
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) May 20, 2026

New York has gone from +475 to +400 to win the NBA Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook, sitting behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (+125) and San Antonio Spurs (+155). Tuesday's win for the Knicks bumped the Cavs back down to +3000 to win the title in the 2025-26 season.

Brunson put on a shot-making clinic in the fourth quarter, keying an 18-1 New York run that got it back into the game. The Knicks trailed by 22 points with eight minutes to play, and they looked dead on offense for most of this game.

Jalen Brunson has more 35-point playoff games than 99.7% of all players in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/uWg9m4qQj0
— Real App (@realapp) May 20, 2026

However, Brunson's flurry, and Mike Brown's decision to put five shooters on the floor, replacing Josh Hart with Landry Shamet, helped the Knicks find the offensive groove that they had earlier this postseason. Shamet and Mikal Bridges both hit some clutch 3-pointers to allow the Knicks to tie the game at 99 apiece before Brunson and James Harden traded buckets to force overtime.

Cleveland had a chance to win Game 1 in regulation, but Sam Merrill's 3-pointer rattled out in the waning seconds.

Brunson went at Harden continously late in the game, and the Knicks somehow came back to cover the spread as 6.5-point favorites in overtime. New York is now -425 to win this series after taking Game 1, but the Cavs did show that they can compete with this New York team -- at least in the first three quarters -- on Tuesday night.

New York is likely going to remain third in the odds to win the Finals unless the Spurs or Thunder take complete control of the Western Conference Finals. At +400, New York still has a little value, though it will be an underdog in the NBA Finals if it ends up getting there.

The Knicks are once again set as 6.5-point favorites in Game 2, and it'll be interesting to see how both teams adjust after one of the wilder fourth quarters in NBA playoff history in Game 1.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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