From The Sports Desk: Knicks mount epic fourth quarter comeback, stun Cavaliers - BERITAJA

In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks trailed the Cleveland Cavaliers by 22 points successful the 4th fourth past nighttime pinch nether 8 minutes to play. Did you move disconnected the game? Well, Jalen Brunson led New York to a comeback triumph successful overtime that had Madison Square Garden rocking. What twelvemonth is it? 2026 aliases 1999?

Also, we cheque successful connected the NHL playoffs arsenic the puck drops connected the convention finals tonight, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah is our World Cup spotlight for the day.

Something for everyone successful today’s jam-packed newsletter. For much coverage, cheque retired the Beritaja website.

NBA Playoffs

After a thriller to commencement the Western Conference finals, the Eastern Conference finals delivered 1 of its own. In the 4th quarter, arsenic the Knicks fell down by 22 points, their triumph probability dipped arsenic debased arsenic 0.1% earlier they stormed backmost to hit the Cavaliers 115-104 successful overtime.

Brunson was spectacular, scoring 38 points, including 15 successful the fourth. He took complete the crippled successful the past 10 minutes of regulation, many times attacking James Harden successful isolation and generating bucket aft bucket. He besides kept his teammates’ hopes alive.

“Keep fighting, support chipping away. We’re not going to get it backmost successful 1 possession,” Brunson said he told his squad during a fourth-quarter timeout. “Most importantly, sticking together. No matter really that crippled finished, habits translate, translates to the adjacent game. We’re conscionable doing, we’re not giving up.”

Ben Stiller reacts during the 4th fourth of a crippled betwixt the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks successful Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.Sarah Stier / Getty Images

Cleveland now has to spell backmost to the drafting committee aft about stealing Game 1. The Cavs will person to fig retired really to woody pinch their Harden problem, arsenic he struggled offensively and his protect woes sparked the New York comeback. Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said aft he didn’t see benching his prima guard.

Harden and Donovan Mitchell ended up pinch 15 and 29 points, respectively, combining for only 21 successful the 2nd half and overtime.

“It’s 1 loss,” Mitchell said. “We’ve had immoderate reliable ones, but it’s 1 loss. It’s not for illustration that nonaccomplishment gives them 2 aliases 3 games, right? It’s one. So we person an opportunity to travel backmost present successful 2 days and bargain 1 here, and that’s really each it is.”

NHL Playoffs

Carolina Hurricanes near helping Taylor Hall, right, controls the puck during the 2nd play against the Philadelphia Flyers successful crippled 4 of the 2nd information of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs connected May 9.James Lang / Imagn Images file

Hockey’s convention finals unfastened coming and, psst, personification mightiness want to show Carolina. The Hurricanes person been truthful ascendant to this constituent that they’ve spent about 2 weeks resting up, having past played May 9.

The Hurricanes are 1 half of an Eastern Conference finals that has seen its teams return very different paths to the cusp of reaching the Stanley Cup final. Carolina needed only 8 games, each wins, to glide done its first 2 series. Since the NHL playoffs expanded to 4 best-of-seven rounds successful 1987, nary squad had swept its first 2 rounds until these Hurricanes.

Contrast that pinch their opponent, Montreal, which had to past a brace of Game 7s to gaffe past Tampa Bay and Buffalo. A Canadian squad hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

In the West, it’s down to Las Vegas and Colorado. The Avalanche person lived up to their overpowering name. After finishing the regular play successful first, they’ve gone 8-1 successful their first 2 rounds while scoring a playoff-high 4.1 goals per game.

But don’t count retired Las Vegas, which has been comfortable facing reliable situations before. The Golden Knights fired coach Bruce Cassidy successful precocious March, only to decorativeness the regular play 7-0-1. In the playoffs, they boast the league’s apical scorer successful Mitch Marner and person already scored 4 short-handed goals.

World Cup Countdown

Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s introduction is Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.

It’s undeniable that Salah has had a reliable year. The 33-year-old announced his departure from Liverpool, a squad he was erstwhile credited for bringing backmost to life, arsenic the nine spent the mostly of this play fighting to get retired of the mud and adapting nether caller leadership.

Born successful the mini colony of Nagrig, Egypt, Salah utilized to recreation hours by autobus to believe pinch his first master squad arsenic a teenager. He was 1 of the fewer astatine the clip who managed to modulation from the Egyptian leagues into the Premier League and it took 7 years into his profession earlier he became a family name.

Fans dubbed Salah the “Egyptian King” successful his debut twelvemonth astatine Anfield, securing his first of 4 Premier League Golden Boot wins. Salah has achieved about each grant imaginable during his clip pinch Liverpool, from UEFA titles to the FA Cup. His activity secured Liverpool its first Premier League title successful 30 years and its first-ever FIFA Club World Cup.

Egypt's guardant Mohamed Salah scores the team's 2nd extremity during the Africa Cup of Nations group B shot lucifer betwixt Egypt and Zimbabwe successful 2025.Franck Fife / AFP via Getty Images file

Salah is simply a awesome of excellence good beyond the grounds of Anfield arsenic he is 1 of the about successful players to ever travel retired of the Middle East and North African region. Though his profession has not been rather arsenic prolific pinch the Egyptian nationalist team, Salah is simply a beloved fig successful Egypt and overmuch of the Arab world.

The Egyptian King returns to the World Cup this summertime for the first clip since 2018, arsenic they grounded to suffice past go-around. Salah is the team’s linchpin; he’s the bosom down the Pharaohs’ thrust to make history by advancing past the group shape for the first clip successful 92 years.

Yesterday’s introduction was Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior. Read about him here.

What We’re Reading

Arsenal won the Premier League title for the first clip successful 22 years, and celebrations erupted successful North London.

Jason Kidd is retired arsenic caput coach of the Dallas Mavericks.

Rashee Rice, a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs, has been ordered to spend 30 days successful jail aft testing affirmative for marijuana successful usurpation of probation.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, the erstwhile assemblage shot coach, won the Republican superior for politician of Alabama.

Roger Goodell says the NFL is cooperating aft getting a lawsuit from the Florida lawyer wide complete the Rooney Rule.

What We’re Watching

Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference finals was an instant classic. Now: What will San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama do arsenic an encore, aft his historical 40-point, 20-rebound night? How will MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City respond to their deflating double-overtime loss? We’ll beryllium glued to Peacock for this one, each bid long.

Also, the NHL’s Western Conference finals commencement pinch a brace of apical seeds facing off, and the PWHL finals proceed coming pinch Game 4 successful the best-of-five series. Montreal could clinch the title pinch a win. Or will Ottawa unit Game 5?

All times are Eastern:

• 7 p.m.: Montreal Victoire vs. Ottawa Charge, connected ION/YouTube streaming
• 8 p.m.: No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. No. 1 Colorado Avalanche, connected ESPN
• 8:30 p.m.: No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 2 San Antonio Spurs, on NBC/Peacock

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost tomorrow.