Mike Brown was amazed by the Knicks' incredible fighting spirit in turning the tide after securing a victory in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

With goals from Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Anthony Towns, the New York Knicks rallied to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 at home in the 2025/26 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Mike Brown said his team turned the tide with incredible fighting spirit and found a way to win in adversity.

According to the data, Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and 6 assists for the New York Knicks, Mikal Bridges scored 18 points and 1 assist, while Anthony Towns contributed 13 points and 5 assists in this key game.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown said, "I have to give credit to my team. They have shown resilience throughout the season. When they were down by 18 to 20 points, they were still able to find ways to come back and win. I really have to give a shout-out to this team."

“We found a five-man combination that could do both defense and scoring on the court. We couldn’t have won if Jalen Brunson hadn’t played like an MVP; he was incredible. Landry Shamet was also fantastic; he was outstanding. His performance in the fifth quarter and overtime really changed the game.”

Mike Brown pointed out, "Especially in the early stages of the game, we didn't look like our usual team. We had too many turnovers. It's very difficult to win a game with 19 turnovers. There was still time left. If we could have spread out a bit, made a few more three-pointers, and played good defense, our home fans would have been ignited."

“Jalen Brunson is our leader and our core player. He believes we need to speed up the pace of the game and that we must do better on defense. He makes sure everyone understands this, and our teammates have responded to his demands.”

In addition, Mike Brown said, "We do have offensive strategies targeting James Harden, that's no secret. Sometimes you have to make decisions based on the situation of the game. We know we can do better, and I believe the Cleveland Cavaliers feel the same way."

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