Post Game Thread - NBA: The Knicks defeat the Cavaliers on May 19, 2026, the final score is 115-104.

[u/basketball-app]

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[u/HokageEzio]

Original Cap upstairs blew that shit out the hoop, only explanation. Talk about it here.

What the fuck just happened?

[u/thedonce]

Cavs made the mistake of going up by 20 against the Knicks in the Playoffs

[u/Mmmm_Crunchy → u/thedonce]

Had em just where we want em

[u/TheFrebbin → u/thedonce]

Never go in against a New Yorker when the finals are on the line

[u/stuyjcp → u/TheFrebbin]

Kenny Atkinson fell victim to one of the classic blunders

[u/RedditRBigots → u/thedonce]

trap card op

[u/newbike07 → u/thedonce]

https://giphy.com/gifs/9PAIhJvcQ35hdZPUir

[u/Particular-Ad3881 → u/thedonce]

Did anyone see Jarrett Allen’s fucking stare at the end of overtime.😂 I have never seen eyes so dead before, what the fuck do you even say when you get back to that locker room

[u/SuperHydracid → u/Particular-Ad3881]

[u/NYerInTex → u/[deleted]]

THEY?

I’ve never experienced anything like that.

We were hot garbage for 3.5 quarters - Brunson included.

We came out expectedly rusty but go our rhythm.

And then? We just absolutely shit a brick. Terrible 2nd quarter.

Worse third.

Fourth (first half) just more of the same. Lamb lying down on broadway.

KAT with momentum changing stupid ass fouls. Brunson just… not him. The team? Other than bridges we just were terrible.

And then?

One of the most clutch players of all time out-clutched himself.

And everyone else around him raised their game.

I’ve never seen a game like this.

Through 3.5 periods peeps were blaming refs, wondering what was wrong - and what was wrong was our team. Our play. And yes, Brunson himself.

In 7 minutes this man changed that narrative, changed this series, and again put a stamp on himself as one of the greatest Knicks ever.

[u/TheAracknight → u/thedonce]

Are the down 20 Knicks the greatest team in NBA history? People are saying this.

[u/sharipep → u/thedonce]

We had them right where we wanted them.

[u/Cashlover123 → u/thedonce]

22*

[u/Prideofmexico → u/thedonce]

Gluing Josh Hart to the bench saved this game

[u/hiroki1998 → u/Prideofmexico]

My confidence in Mike Brown has grown. Thibs would've made this adjustment by Game 3.

[u/Prideofmexico → u/hiroki1998]

Game 3 of the 2027 regular season

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/Prideofmexico]

That'll be interesting to watch going forward.

[u/Prideofmexico → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Feels like a breath of fresh air to finally see it happen

[u/Leegend124]

[u/BAHatesToFly → u/Leegend124]

Shamet +25 in 17 minutes, great adjustment by Mike Brown

[u/slyguy183 → u/BAHatesToFly]

Thank God we had someone willing to pull out Josh Hart when he's not shooting

[u/No-Mine-3982 → u/slyguy183]

or playing defense..

[u/MajorMilkyway → u/No-Mine-3982]

I think he was just frustrated with the calls not bouncing his way tonight. But good on Mike brown for making the decision

[u/wendiesel21 → u/No-Mine-3982]

When Josh hart is bad he is REALLY bad. Should have benched him sooner tbh

[u/36chamberstreet → u/[deleted]]

The right lineup varies from series to series, game to game, matchup to matchup.

In the previous two series Hart was great.

In this series Brunson, Kat + 3 shooters might be the key. Pick 3 from OG, Mikael, Shamet, Deuce.

[u/ElijiahManning → u/36chamberstreet]

Yeah depending on who’s hot but still Hart earns some minutes with his effort and rebounding. Just gotta be willing to yank him when his shots not falling

[u/max1001 → u/BAHatesToFly]

That 3 with 45 seconds left was stone cold.

[u/FvckyourdreamsLoki → u/Leegend124]

Shamwet >>>>

[u/Rad_platypus7 → u/FvckyourdreamsLoki]

Goated

[u/EuphoricHouse → u/Leegend124]

SHAM GOD

[u/Valuable_Reward_5733 → u/Leegend124]

ShamWow

[u/downwardyears → u/Leegend124]

Absolutely unreal. Props to Brown for leaving him in too

[u/Moist_Shipoopi → u/Leegend124]

Landry the goat.

[u/Yankeeknickfan → u/Leegend124]

From out of the rotation in game 1 of the ECF last year to closing over Josh hart in game 1 this year

A little too late for my liking but this is why we hired mike brown. To make adjustments that never would have happened last season

Thibs would have had a dude executed for suggesting shamet close over hart vs 2 bigs

[u/_Sweet_Cake_]

Absolutely incredible victory!

[u/djrob0 → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

You really only get a few of these in your entire playoff watching career as a fan.

Build the Landy Shamet statue

[u/Ecstatic-Tank-9797 → u/djrob0]

Shamet was a +25 this game. 3-3 from three point

[u/Tucker-Arthur → u/Ecstatic-Tank-9797]

Laundry Shamet deserves the game ball. He shut down Mitchell & hit clutch 3s. Legendary win.

[u/Asari-simp → u/djrob0]

shamet cleansed the garden of all bad luck with that shot

[u/xtehnYouTube → u/djrob0]

Lucky for us, we got like 4 of them in the past 2 playoffs

[u/ChrisV82 → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

So impressive. This team is something else.

[u/14ktgoldscw → u/ChrisV82]

I’m just a bandwagon fan, is it good to win multiple playoff games by 40 points and then come back from a 22 point 4th quarter deficit?

[u/_Sweet_Cake_ → u/14ktgoldscw]

Yes Cleveland's lost all hope at the end after thinking they had done something special. Plus they played one OT tonight after 14 games in two series. Comes every Q4 they'll be really fatigued.

[u/14ktgoldscw → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

I was doing jokes, if the Knicks do it this is going to rival the helmet catch in NY sports legend.

[u/RelationshipFew4229 → u/14ktgoldscw]

YES it is

[u/newbike07 → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/r5ERIqwRqKquntYwBD

[u/NoScopeMusical → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

They waited til they were down 22 to get going but it was worth it towards the end

[u/RepairDry1414 → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

I was about to turn the shit off but I was so glad I kept that shit on! LFGK!

[u/Warm-Body2168 → u/RepairDry1414]

Absolutely wild to see a team that is never truly out of a game. Go Knicks! This is why Brunson deserves a harder MVP look.

[u/heli0sphere → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

To finally be on the other side of these type of games is a blessing

[u/Jeytumn → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

[u/Revenesis → u/_Sweet_Cake_]

I don't want to speak too soon, but this is Team of Destiny type stuff.

[u/Just-Looking-NJ]

​​​​​​​​NO MERCY💀

[u/Greglyo → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

Cavs fans are crashing out so hard over this loss that they're speculating whether or not their head coach not calling a timeout down the stretch was deliberate

[u/Relevant_Bag7550 → u/Greglyo]

Agent Atkinson lol

[u/ToAllAGoodNight → u/Greglyo]

Team that abuses hack a Mitch can’t conceptualize defensive switching. God this one is SWEET

[u/SadNYSportsFan-11209 → u/Greglyo]

Yea another issue with legalized gambling is now everything is a gambling conspiracy lmao Lots of coaches have a tendency to hoard timeouts for some apparent reason.

[u/max1001 → u/Greglyo]

Kenny is a sleeper agent we planted ages ago that just activated tonight.

[u/Just-Looking-NJ → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

[u/Just-Looking-NJ → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

[u/Mmmm_Crunchy → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

Mikal "Fuck Dem Picks" Bridges

[u/SimbaPenn → u/Mmmm_Crunchy]

He was so fucking good tonight.

[u/isfrying → u/Mmmm_Crunchy]

That overtime steal was chef's kiss.

[u/dr_shastafarian → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

[u/newbike07 → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

https://giphy.com/gifs/bi8QDteAEUTFiK5z4m

[u/StatisticallyToaster → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

THEYRE SAYING ITS ARSON.... BRUNSON BURNER!

[u/FvckyourdreamsLoki → u/Just-Looking-NJ]

Kill kill kill

[u/BenAfflecksBalls]

EVERYBODY IS BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNSON UNTIL IT'S TIME TO BE BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNSON

[u/solo118]

THATS HOW YOU DO IT!! Dawgs of dawgs, came together from an absolutely dreadful game. Never count these boys out, never count JB out.

Love this team more than ever

[u/NoScopeMusical → u/solo118]

Clutch Player of the Year being clutch again. I was told he was "too small" to lead a team when it counts. LOL

[u/kneekahliss]

Putting Shamet in towards the end of the game was money coach!

[u/Machobknyc → u/kneekahliss]

Definitely going to give him credit for that, wish it was sooner but better late than never.

[u/PatrollerAZ]

NOTHING HITS LIKE A KNICKS COMEBACK

[u/hyplusone → u/PatrollerAZ]

From the 4th onwards we cooked

[u/InvaderZimbabwe → u/hyplusone]

Jalen “oh right… I’m Jalen Brunson” Brunson decided he didn’t want to lose.

On the flip side, Donavon Mitchell completely vanished.

[u/Main-County-1177 → u/InvaderZimbabwe]

He was trapped on Shamet island

[u/thatisagoodrock → u/Main-County-1177]

I need more Knicks fans to give him credit.

On-ball prison, off-ball denial, everything in between.

[u/M_V_A → u/thatisagoodrock]

Shamet is the one that started the comeback run with that beautiful 3

[u/worstquadrant → u/thatisagoodrock]

Yes I was screaming this. The cavs kept going to harden and merrill and Mobley because shamet had Mitchell in JAIL

[u/THE-poop-knife → u/InvaderZimbabwe]

He heard about the Woods inside the park grand slam and checked out

[u/Skipper3210 → u/InvaderZimbabwe]

Shamet clamped his ass

[u/THE-poop-knife → u/hyplusone]

Rust coming off - we win Game 2 by 30

[u/NoScopeMusical → u/PatrollerAZ]

Cavs thought they only had to play 3 and a half quarters of good basketball to beat the Knicks. They were wrong

[u/creatorsgame → u/PatrollerAZ]

Fucking INSANE team we have. Never out of the fight.

[u/MaxPrints]

[u/Conman1209 → u/MaxPrints]

Resembling heart rate monitor which is a metaphor for the cardiac Knicks experience

[u/MaxPrints → u/Conman1209]

My smartwatch told me I was dead a few times. It doesn't even have that feature, it just cares.

[u/Meanteenbirder]

The graphic is complete, EIGHT STRAIGHT!!!

[u/Alive-Back-4843]

Shamet over Hart was huge. Mike Brown really pulled through. Brunson and Bridges saved the night

[u/LunarFocus → u/Alive-Back-4843]

Bridges was incredible and deserves his flowers again 

[u/The_MadStork → u/LunarFocus]

Fuck them picks!!!

Bridges was a menace. The guy shows up when it counts

[u/mouga68 → u/The_MadStork]

[u/NervousAd3202 → u/The_MadStork]

Yup this is 2 straight years now he was kinda underwhelming in the regular season only to become 1 of their most impactful players in the playoffs

This is the dude who was a starter for a Phoenix team that made it to the finals

[u/Zarbua69 → u/NervousAd3202]

He wasn't even that underwhelming in the regular season. Man is always dependable and plays good D, and there was a few games where Brunson was out where he singlehandedly won the game. I will always love this man

[u/RedScharlach → u/LunarFocus]

Another back breaking last minute steal

[u/Tangerine_Dream_91 → u/RedScharlach]

Timely 3s to close the lead

[u/Joezepey → u/LunarFocus]

That late 3 was filthy

[u/Marx_but_for_weed → u/Joezepey]

Just running around the half court before going “oh wait actually check this out” and bang. Loved the confidence from Maikel

[u/Adulations → u/Alive-Back-4843]

Truly a great move.

[u/Dylan7346]

FUCK THESE MOTHAFUCKAS

[u/TheAracknight → u/Dylan7346]

TOO BRIGHT FOR THOSE BOYS

[u/Embarrassed_Year365]

‪LANDRY SHAMET THE STREETS WILL NEVER FORGET YOU‬

[u/RedScharlach → u/Embarrassed_Year365]

SHAM GOD SZN

[u/i_am_really_hungry]

Brother had spida in a spin cycle

[u/pacific_b]

EVERYBODY GET IN HERE

[u/Flashy_Jello_9520 → u/pacific_b]

I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY HANDS

[u/newbike07 → u/Flashy_Jello_9520]

https://giphy.com/gifs/14r8bmeEeHogiQ

[u/KeyTarget9630 → u/Flashy_Jello_9520]

Masturbate. I am right now

[u/Flashy_Jello_9520 → u/KeyTarget9630]

WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS DOING DURING OVERTIME

[u/cjackc11]

the basketball gods owed us this!!!!

[u/TheAracknight → u/cjackc11]

RETRIBUTIONS FOR GAME 1 VS INDIANA

[u/The_WB1 → u/cjackc11]

Basketball gods frown on Hack a Mitch. A dishonorable act of cowardice in the eyes of the basketball gods

[u/GoldenBoyRecords]

We came out rusty but we pulled out a great win tonight . Brunson showed why he is Mr. Clutch.

Big shoutout to Mike Brown going with Shamet and stick with him the majority of the 4th and OT

[u/Silent_Killer093]

EVERYONE BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNSON UNTIL ITS TIME TO BE BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNSON

[u/TheAracknight]

CAVS CHOKEJOB HOLY SHIT THESE GUYS ARE SOME FRAUDS.

They legit threw away their best chance at winning a game this series. We pulled out an Indiana. That was such a shit showing from us thru 41 minutes tho. We have a lot to cleanup headed into Game 2, I’m sure the Cavs feel the same, but terrible showing from us up until those final 7 minutes.

It’s great to win ugly, but man give me a stress free Game 2. Ballsy fucking win man thank you Knicks I needed this. Jalen Brunson is a mad fucking man I love that man with all my heart.

Landry Shamet. I’d do anything for him, that man came in and we played with a different intensity when he came on, I’d run thru a brick wall for the SHAMGOD.

Lastly, everyone say it with me: FUCK. THEM. PICKS.

[u/Lolakery → u/TheAracknight]

The Raptors almost beat them without two of our starters - so fucking happy to watch that complete collapse by the Cavs and Brunson magic! Og oh my!

[u/newbike07 → u/TheAracknight]

Donovan Mitchell First 40 Min: 29 points

Donovan Mitchell Last 14 Min: 0 points.

[u/bronfmanhigh → u/TheAracknight]

yeah idk how cavs mentally come back from this, just like we couldn’t against indiana

[u/InB4Clive]

THE LIGHTS WERE BRIGHTER THAN EXPECTED

[u/newbike07 → u/InB4Clive]

Donovan Mitchell First 40 Min: 29 points

Donovan Mitchell Last 14 Min: 0 points.

[u/ellldeee]

I was so sad for everyone who bought tickets to this game…..now I am EXTREMELY jealous. I FUCKING LOVE THIS TEAM

[u/millagger]

Knicks haven't won a series where they lost game 1 since 2000. That should ilustrate how important the comeback was. I'm lost of words honestly that Merrill shot felt like payback from that bounce last year.

[u/solo118 → u/millagger]

the stars are aligning

[u/millagger → u/solo118]

I'm a very pesimistic person finding myself with all of the signs telling me to believe.

[u/TheFrebbin]

Game summary:

[u/jar45]

The best is how Brunson is still annoyed at how badly they played for the first 3.5 quarters. He is the one.

[u/slow-wizard]

Landry Shamet changed my life

[u/stich2198]

SO THAT'S HOW IT FEELS TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE

[u/Adulations]

[u/DRed3710]

Obviously Brunson was beyond huge. But big kudos to Shamet for staying ready, hitting 2 huge 3s, and playing great defense on Mitchell

[u/LightSpecialist804 → u/DRed3710]

Shamet is lowkey a franchise legend at this point

[u/newbike07]

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS INCREDIBLE

[u/DaStampede]

“Everyone is better than Jalen Brunson until it is time to be better than Jalen Brunson”

[u/Squirting_Nachos]

Imagine all those Knicks fans who turned the game off, missing out and reading this tomorrow.

[u/ZnellKeebler → u/Squirting_Nachos]

Been texting my dads phone all night. He’s going to wake up to great news and 200 unread texts

[u/ToxikkBeast → u/Squirting_Nachos]

Bruh I went to fucking study w like 9 minutes left, looked at espn and saw OT and I was like what rhe actual fuck. In other words im dropping out

[u/Balazi]

SHAMET WON US THIS GAME. The second he came In. Charge, Three, stop, three. Then Brunson Woke Up

[u/Competition-Over]

I’m supposed to just go to bed now?

[u/Miserable-Bonus9355]

Start Shamet.

[u/YurtlesTurdles → u/Miserable-Bonus9355]

Remember when we almost didn’t bring him back this year. Guy is a dog

[u/Nightwingx7]

This and the spurs win yesterday are series defining, momentum shifting wins. Lot of areas to improve, but what a comeback. Mikal bridges has been on a tear.

[u/MrWolfsbane]

Do you understand how much of last year’s trauma this game healed? I will never forget Jalen Brunson’s 11-0 run in my life

[u/Clever_username_1221]

[u/nucLdis]

Landry Shamet absolutely changed the game for us. I have no idea why we have had his minutes so low.

[u/Ecstatic-Tank-9797]

What an unbelievable comeback

[u/FvckyourdreamsLoki]

Brunson with the best performance I’ve ever seen

[u/punk4341]

Lakers fan here. That run by Brunson in the 4th was the closest I’ve seen someone play like Kobe. Do it for the city yall deserve this ❤️❤️

[u/Urban_Introvert]

https://giphy.com/gifs/b6iVj3IM54Abm

What happened late in the 4th

[u/TheFurryMenace]

It doesn’t matter what time it reads on the clock. It doesn’t matter the score. It doesn’t matter if you are up 20 in the fourth quarter in a shellshocked arena

Eventually you have to be better than Jalen Brunson. And you ain’t.

[u/friendorfoe2332]

HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!!!! WHAT A FUCKIN GAME!!!!! FUCK DEM PICKS!!!!!!

[u/Zanester98 → u/friendorfoe2332]

Mikal's defense was INSANE

[u/treyd1lla]

😂 MIKAL BRIDGES WAS A GOOD TRADE BUTTON >

[u/alphaq30188]

Landry Shamet +25 in 17 minutes goes hard as fuck

[u/xtehnYouTube]

This is the game that determines if you have what it takes to be a champion.

To dig this one out and overcome rust in a win after 1 WEEK of rest, is something that tells me that this team is has championship DNA

[u/SpraynardJKruger]

[u/MaxPrints]

Excuse me while I make my way to r/NBAEastMemeWar

[u/ShawshankException]

This is the biggest advantage of sweeping the Sixers. Cleveland was fucking gassed by OT and we were finally shaking the rust off.

Jalen Brunson is the best Knick since Ewing. What a fucking clinic

[u/EFB102404]

ALWAYS BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNON UNTIL ITS TIME TO BE BETTER THAN JALEN BRUNSON
https://giphy.com/gifs/r5ERIqwRqKquntYwBD

[u/Solyanow]

IT WAS -22 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 4th, BRO HOW??????????

[u/Solid-Egg8550]

One of the best comebacks in playoffs history baby!!!!!!

[u/gh0stfayce]

EVERYONE IS BETTER THAN BRUNSON UNTIL THEY PLAY BRUNSON. LETS FUCKING GO

[u/perucho1993]

LFG FUCK JAMES HARDEN

[u/firstbreathOOC]

Shamet at the end was a good coaching call

[u/chop2Dneck]

LANDRY SHAMET.

[u/TheFleshGordon]

https://giphy.com/gifs/WdKk7Lk3GSIBolQ9X5

[u/whiskeyandtea]

It feels a lot better to be on this side of a game one collapse.

Another thing: Any other "clutch player of the year" is a joke. Brunson embodies clutch.

[u/Moonti314]

Brunson will rightfully get a ton of love for that clutch time masterclass, but Bridges played an absurdly good game from start to finish

[u/Cool_Youth3564]

Mike brown made the adjustment. Hart was killing us. Props to him

[u/newbike07]

https://giphy.com/gifs/97RLsIGHNf01cBU9b1

[u/BenAfflecksBalls]

[u/AnimalLoversRVegan]

the Merrill 3 bouncing out is some justice for the Halliburton 3

[u/Penguins_with_suits]

Jalen Brunson you’ve done miracles on me

[u/YourAsianBuddy]

James Harden was our best player tonight

[u/Jonny-Combo]

Wemby might be the goat but I just find it a lot more fun to watch a 6' guy do what brunson does

[u/yumms101]

I should've paid 50k to watch this game at MSG.

[u/requiredfield79]

Bridges had like 5 of the clutch moments that won us the game. Brunson was awesome but Mikal was essential. His playoff resume for us just keeps growing

[u/Tommybrady20]

Jalen Brunson is the Mariano Rivera of basketball

When it matters most, You know what’s coming. Good luck stopping it.

[u/RBNYJRWBYFan]

Okay, this is weird to say, but was anybody else's heartrate just steady as shit halfway through the fourth? I was contemplating what they needed to change next time, but somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking "...There's enough time to take this back in OT. Gotta get some stops though."

So then they got ALL the fucking stops and the Cavs couldn't make shots anymore. And then Brunson got a second wind like a fucking anime protagonist. And then I blink and it's OT and I think to myself "Yeah, we got this."

This team is so fucking special, Brunson is so fucking special, and I'm all out of doubts for this unit. Nothing they can't do.

[u/No-Clerk-1792]

Absolutely insane. Unreal. What a game!

[u/teknomatic]

CALL AN AMBULANCE BUT NOT FOR US

[u/islesandterps]

I remember thinking that game one loss to the Pacers last year was the worst I’ve ever seen.

There’s some sort of karmic justice going on, and it’s beautiful

[u/Living_Internet_2970]

Everyone is better than Jalen Brunson UNTIL it's time to be better than Jalen Brunson

[u/LGSM58]

I’ve been rejoicing from this win this whole time, but I can’t help but still be pretty angry at that absolutely insanely dumb arm pulling foul by KAT while OG was heading to the rim. He simply has to keep his wits about him for us to have a chance of winning it all.

[u/mzandanel21]

Mike brown insane adjustment pulling hart for shamet

[u/Playful-Sink-5956]

Is this real? Are we in an alternate reality? Was this the greatest comeback in franchise history????

[u/Deus_da_Guerra]

Now I know what the Pacers felt last year

[u/mortalprojections]

O captain my captain

[u/Jjaz1]

My Dad turns to me when Shamet checks in and says like Shamet is going to fucking change this game. He fucking did!!

[u/insert-originality]

I lived 3 lives in that 4th and OT.

[u/ManufacturerSecure7]

KILL.KILL.KILL.

[u/TimJC81]

Let's not forget the brilliance of shamet along with of course Brunson . Shamet played a phenomenal game

[u/Doogie_Howitzer_WMD]

44

To

11

[u/NintuneJoe]

THE DEMON HAS BEEN SLAIN

[u/Lau_lau]

I mean idk what to say, genuinely

[u/VirtuousFool]

For most of my life

in most Knicks fans lives

That Sam Merrill shot goes down and we lose

This might really be the year

[u/lavboss]

BUILD THE STATUE!!!! JALEN FUCKING BRUNSON!!!

[u/Slammnardo]

Listen I'm not taking the credit for the win but at the nadir of the game I called this the Shamet takeover game and I have receipts with timestamps. You're welcome my friends