The New York Knicks pulled off a comeback for the ages in the Eastern Conference Finals last night, overcoming a 20-point deficit with just half a quarter to go to force the Cleveland Cavaliers into overtime and win to claim Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. Afterwards, the fans decided to have some fun with the X Community Notes.
With 7:29 remaining in the game, longtime sports analyst Darren Rovell shared an interesting gambling tidbit that he learned. Apparently, 95-percent of the money wagered on BetMGM had the Knicks to cover the 7.5-point spread and joked that MGM would be able to build a new hotel wing in Las Vegas off their impending winnings.
"MGM building a new hotel wing in Las Vegas off tonight. 95% of the money at BetMGM was on the Knicks -7.5 tonight. They are down 20 with 7:29 to go," Rovell wrote on X.
Whether or not that was true, fans decided to give Rovell a reality check in the Community Notes, with one user writing (and the community ultimately approving) a reply that said "Jalen Brunson told MGM to stop the construction."
Brunson's Big Night
The Knicks captain had the kind of game that teams build statues for in Game 1, scoring 38 points, five rebounds and six assists in 46 minutes on the court. Brunson scored 11 of those points in the waning minutes of the game to force overtime and close the 22-point deficit.
In overtime, the Knicks would outscore the Cavs 14-3 for a final score of 115-104, capping off the greatest comeback in Knicks postseason history.
© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
It's the kind of performance that can give Knicks fans hope that they can not only reach the NBA Finals for the first time in a generation, but perhaps take down the presumptive favorite coming out of the Western Conference Finals in either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs.
Brunson and the Knicks will get a much-deserved rest today before returning to Madison Square Garden for Game 2.
