If you had turned off the television set, or got up to do something else with at around 10 after 10 at night last night, nobody would have blamed you.
That's because the New York Knicks trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points with 7:39 to go in the fourth quarter. By all intents and purposes the game was over.
A sudden surge by Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, who couldn't hit the side of a barn let alone a basketball hoop, were charging back on an 18-1 run that was highlighted by Brunson's three with 3:30 to go cut Cleveland's lead down to just five points.
The Cavs who had a 99.9 percent chance to win four minutes earlier, saw their chances narrowed down to 85 percent. Still within reason.
But this was a different circumstance. The Knicks would not be denied. A 44-11 run by New York, including overtime pushed the Knicks to their greatest playoff comeback victory in franchise history.
When it was all said and done, the Cavaliers looked lost. They had their shot. Even Sam Merrill had the potential game-winning shot lined up with just a couple seconds left in regulation, before the ball rattled in and then out of the hoop to keep the game tied at 101.
Tuesday's game was a stark reminder that as rusty as the Knicks looked for 3-1/2 quarters, they can turn it on at any point. It was like watching the opening of Pandora's Box right in front of us. Instead of Cleveland walking away with a 1-0 series lead, the Knicks may have just delivered the knock out blow before this series really gets going.
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