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If the NBA had screenwriters, not even they could come up with a start this good to the conference finals.
Victor Wembanyama has 41 points and 24 rebounds. San Antonio goes into Oklahoma City and beats the defending champion Thunder. New York trails by 22 points with about eight minutes left in regulation, then beats Cleveland. Both games go to overtime, a conference finals first. And the score at the end of regulation in both games — 101-101.
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Well done, Spurs and Knicks.
If there was a common trend in both games, it was that the best player on the winning teams decided to become the best player on the floor at crunch time. On Monday night, it was Wembanyama for the Spurs. On Tuesday night, it was Jalen Brunson for the Knicks — who led a 44-11 run over the last 13 minutes.
That’s right, 44-11.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I take my hat off to my group.”
Game 2 of Spurs-Thunder is Wednesday. Game 2 of Knicks-Cavaliers is Thursday. The drama is only going to keep building.
“Found a way. … We got some stops,” Brunson said. “Kept fighting, kept believing, kept chipping away.”
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The numbers — from both games — are of the video game variety.
Start with what happened at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. A 44-11 run doesn’t happen in the NBA, certainly not in the conference finals. Teams that led by 22 points or more in the fourth quarter were 452-1 this season, including playoffs. They’re 452-2 now. In the playoffs, teams had won 330 consecutive games when leading by 22 or more points in the fourth quarter since 2013. They’re 330-1 now.
Make it make sense.
“I don’t have an answer,” Brunson said.
Neither did the Cavaliers, either as it was happening or in the immediate aftermath.
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“We got a little unlucky,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Brunson obviously took over at the end. … We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunately, the fourth quarter, they dominated us in the fourth quarter.”
A 41-point, 24-rebound game doesn’t happen that often, either. Wembanyama was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/basketball-game-1s-nbas-conference-034435550.html
Author : TIM REYNOLDS
Publish date : 2026-05-20 03:44:00
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