What Jalen Brunson said to Knicks ahead of epic ECF comeback win over Cavaliers

Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News spotted captain Jalen Brunson attempting to fire up his New York Knicks teammates in a huddle with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter of Game 1 of New York's Eastern Conference Finals matchup versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the Knicks would later trail the Cavaliers by 22 points in the fourth quarter, Brunson's words and his play sparked the hosts to an improbable 115-104 overtime win and a 1-0 series lead. After the victory, Knicks head coach Mike Brown touched upon the messages Brunson shared during game breaks as New York completed its epic rally. 

Knicks responded to Jalen Brunson rallying cries

"He’s a leader," Brown said about Brunson, per Ben Krimmel of SNY. "He’s our guy. And he felt we needed to play faster, he felt we needed to be better defensively. There were a couple things he felt and he made sure we knew. And our guys responded to him." 

Specifically, the Knicks responded by outscoring the Cavaliers 44-11 from a portion of the fourth quarter through overtime. As Shaun Powell of the NBA's website noted, 17 of the game-high 38 points that Brunson tallied on the evening were scored in the fourth quarter and the overtime period. 

"He's an amazing player," Knicks forward OG Anunoby said about Brunson after the victory. "I'm happy he's on our team. I think we're all happy he's on our team."

Jalen Brunson opens up about his message to Knicks teammates

Meanwhile, Brunson revealed after the win that his message in the huddle was to "keep fighting." The Knicks ultimately fought to produce a 30-8 run to close the fourth quarter and force overtime.

"Keep chipping away," Brunson added about his message. "We're not gonna get it back in one possession. Most importantly, sticking together, no matter how that game finished, habits translate; they get transferred to the next game. So just finishing the game strong, regardless of whatever's going on. Making sure everyone has the right habits."

The Knicks were a bit lucky in that Cleveland guard Sam Merrill nearly drained what would have been a go-ahead three-pointer with under three seconds remaining in regulation. Unsurprisingly, Brunson got a hand in Merrill's face as the shot was launched. 

"We don’t stop until the clock hits zero and shoutouts to our captain for holding it down for us," New York's Mikal Bridges said about Brunson after the dramatic win.