After pulling off literally the greatest late-game comeback in NBA Playoffs history, the New York Knicks find themselves riding high on momentum up 1-0 in this best-of-seven conference finals matchup against the Cavaliers.
Unfortunately, emotions and excitement may need to be tempered just a tad.
Yes, the way in which they managed to pull out a Game 1 win despite being down 20 with roughly seven minutes to go in regulation deserves to be celebrated.
However, it shouldn't erase or excuse the fact that the Knicks dug themselves into such an egregious hole on the biggest stage of the season in the first place.
The fact of the matter is, New York didn't play a great game. Instead, they closed in epic fashion.
The reality is, they can't afford to rely on this as a go-to strategy moving forward.
After all, they've already tried this once before.
Epic comeback no indication that Knicks have leveled up since last year
Let's not forget that the Knicks pulled off several similar come-from-behind wins during their deep 2025 playoff run.
Be it their Herculean efforts to grind out a Game 1 win over Boston in round two while trailing by as many as 20 points, or even their 13-point comeback against Indiana in Game 3 of the conference finals, Jalen Brunson and company seemingly made it a trademark of theirs to never be ruled out until the final buzzer sounded.
And as impressive as these finishes may have proven to be, in the end, the Knicks still found themselves in the exact same situation they've been in for the last 50-plus years -- ringless.
In the NBA, there are 48 minutes of action in regulation. Against Cleveland, as they seemingly did on numerous occasions during their last postseason excursion, it appeared New York only showed up to play for the final 12, and then, fortunately, the extra five they received in overtime.
This is not a recipe for long-term success.
Again, their feats in Tuesday's series opener were objectively outstanding and deserve all the attention and adulation they're currently receiving from fans and pundits alike.
Unfortunately, the harsh truth is that these Knicks have not yet proven themselves to be all that different from what they were during last year's ill-fated postseason.
In a campaign where they have an NBA Finals-or-bust mandate in place, separating themselves from their previous iterations is a must.
Though certainly inspirational, their opening-night win over the Cavs shouldn't have separated these Knicks all that much, if at all, from last year's squad just yet.
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