.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
Apr 25, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks players react on the bench against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Coach Mike Brown and the New York Knicks pulled off the impossible. They were down 22 points in the fourth quarter and rallied in overtime to get the massive 115-104 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs. While a lot of the praise is directed towards Jalen Brunson, there is one X-Factor who also balled out to triumph over the Cavs— Landry Shamet.
Shamet named Knicks X-Factor against Cavs
A lot of the effort by the Knicks was due to Jalen Brunson leading the rally to comeback from down 22 points against the Cavs. He ended the game with 38 points while stuffing the box score through his six assists, five rebounds, and three steals. The burden of cutting down the deficit was also shared and not solely carried by Brunson. This is where Coach Mike Brown saw Landry Shamet shine.
After just having played 17 minutes, the Knicks faithful were thankful that Coach Brown made the call to let Shamet heat up. The Knicks head coach then had nothing but praise after Game 1 against the Cavs, via SNY TV.
"Landry Shamet was great. Landry Shamet was great on both ends of the floor. He came up big. You are not going to stop a guy like Donovan Mitchell, you just have to make him work. Landry tried like heck to make him work. He was fantastic. He was the difference in the ballgame tonight on both ends of the floor," the Knicks head coach said.
True enough, Shamet was a big help for Brunson and Coach Brown. He was 100% from the three-point line to score nine points while also grabbing a rebound. Against a rough Cavs offense led by a streaking Mitchell all night, he turned the tides.
This NBA Playoffs series between the Knicks and Cavs is going to be determined by players who are X-Factors. Shamet was just the go-to guy in the clutch for Game 1. Will someone else step up alongside Brunson or is Coach Brown going to consistently rely on Shamet now?
English (US)