OF THE NEW YORK KNICKS' 13 consecutive NBA playoff wins, the eighth might provide a sense of justification. Not for the blockbuster roster moves that have the franchise two wins from its first championship in 53 years, but for a tactical shift that perhaps came a few years late.
The Knicks had entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals winning three straight games to oust the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and dominating the underdog Philadelphia 76ers via a conference semifinals sweep. But after the first 40 minutes inside Madison Square Garden on May 19, New York found itself trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points.
Naturally, that's when Jalen Brunson went to work, scoring 15 of his game-high 38 points in the final 7:39 with much of the damage coming against Cavs guard James Harden. And, behind Brunson's offensive attack and some timely stinginess by New York's defense, one of the greatest rallies in playoff history was nearly complete. With under one minute remaining, the Knicks had cut the deficit to just three points.
They came not from Brunson, New York's captain and former Clutch Player of the Year. Not from Karl-Anthony Towns, its All-Star center and one of the best shooting bigs in the league. Not from Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby, two 3-and-D wings the franchise traded a lineup's worth of players and draft picks to acquire.
No, the 3-pointer that tied the game at 99-99 with 45 seconds remaining in regulation left the fingertips of reserve guard Landry Shamet, a late training camp signing on a non-guaranteed deal -- and who would have likely watched from the bench in such a critical moment a season ago.