After a nine-day lay-off, the New York Knicks looked understandably out of rhythm at Madison Square Garden. But when it mattered most, they found a way to flip the script.

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Jalen Brunson led a remarkable comeback as the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The win gives New York a 1-0 series lead and extends their winning streak to eight games.

It was the biggest playoff comeback in Knicks history, and the second-largest fourth-quarter rally in the play-by-play era.

“I said in the locker room just that we lost. We f***ing blew it. All right, let’s respond for game two. Simple as that,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said post-game.

Brunson delivered 38 points and six assists on 15-of-29 shooting, taking control late as New York closed the game on a stunning 44-11 run.

“We got some stops. We kept fighting and believing. We just kept chipping away,” Brunson said post-game.

“They were playing great basketball. We just found a way. I really don’t have an answer.“

The result came a day after the San Antonio Spurs outlasted the Oklahoma City Thunder in a double-overtime thriller in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, marking the first time in NBA history both conference finals open with overtime games.

Cleveland had started strongly, leading by as many as 11 in the first half as New York’s shooting woes mounted, finishing 2-of-19 from three before the break. Still, the Cavaliers clawed their way back and took a two-point lead into halftime after a late triple from Mitchell.

The momentum swung further in the third quarter, where Cleveland surged ahead by as many as 16. New York’s offence stalled, managing just six field goals in the period, while the Cavaliers put up 35 points despite only four makes from deep.

The Cavaliers then stretched the lead to 22 in the fourth after Mitchell was left open for a decisive three-pointer. At that stage, the game looked all but decided.

Then came the shift.

The Knicks stormed back with an 18-1 run, driven almost entirely by Brunson, who scored 11 straight points during the surge to drag the margin back into reach and force a Cavaliers time-out.

From there, New York never looked back. The Knicks opened overtime with the first nine points and controlled the extra period to seal the win.

“We got a little unlucky, quite honestly,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said.

“Brunson obviously took over at the end … I’m super proud of the way our group played. We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately fourth quarter, they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”

For James Harden, it was a frustrating night in a tough loss, with the $81 million man ($113M AUD) struggling to find any rhythm offensively.

He finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, but the numbers don’t tell the full story of an inefficient performance that also included six turnovers and just one made three-pointer from eight attempts.

Knicks coach Mike Brown, meanwhile, said post-game that they targeted Harden on defence.

“We were trying to do the same thing with Jalen. We try not to play that game, but we have a guy who we can play that game with in Jalen. Just like we try to figure out how to guard Harden and Mitchell, they have to figure out how to guard Jalen. It was no secret we were attacking Harden,” Brown said in his post-game press conference.

It added to ongoing criticism around Harden’s tendency to fade in key playoff moments, with questions once again raised about his ability to deliver when the stakes are highest.

For Cleveland, it was a collapse that will sting. For New York, it was a statement win, and they are now three victories away from a first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.