NEW YORK.– With a stellar performance by Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks staged a spectacular comeback this Christmas Eve by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124 at Madison Square Garden, after erasing a 17-point deficit in the last quarter.
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Brunson was the big figure of the match with
34 points, leading the reaction of the Knicks in a vibrant closing that made the mythical New York stage explode. Meanwhile, the Dominican center
Karl-Anthony Towns contributed a
double-double, being a key piece in the victory.
The matchup opened the traditional Christmas Day NBA schedule, which included five games and more than 13 consecutive hours of basketball, as is customary every December 25th.
Half a century of Christmas at the Garden
The match marked the
50th Christmas game played at Madison Square Garden since the NBA established this tradition in 1947, reaffirming New York as the historical epicenter of basketball on these dates.
The Cavaliers dominated large stretches of the game, especially in the
first and third quarters, in which they scored
38 points in each to build considerable leads. However, the Knicks responded on two occasions, showing character and resilience.
Cleveland started strong by establishing an
18-3 run, momentarily silencing the home crowd. The New York reaction came in the second quarter with a forceful
24-3, which allowed them to take the lead for the first time.
A Christmas worthy ending
In the final quarter, the Cavaliers pulled away again, going up by
17 points, but the entry from the bench of
Mitchell Robinson, dominating offensive rebounds, and the timely three-pointers from
Tyler Kolek, ignited the spark of the comeback.
Brunson capped a decisive
22-6 run, tying the game with a three-pointer with
3:48 left, which led to a close finish in which the Knicks were relentless.
Key Contributions
In addition to Brunson’s 34 points,
Jordan Clarkson added
25 units,
Tyler Kolek added
24, while
Josh Hart scored
15 points before retiring after twisting an ankle.
By Cleveland,
Donovan Mitchell also shone with
34 points, signing his
sixth game of December with 30 or more units.
Darius Garland contributed
20 points and 11 assists,
Jaylon Tyson added
16 and
Evan Mobley finished with
14.
With the victory, the Knicks improved their record to
21-9, while the Cavaliers fell to
17-15, on a Christmas that will be etched in the memory of Madison Square Garden.
