Jalen Brunson’s passionate message to his Knicks teammates during a timeout in the third quarter of Game 1 spread quickly on social media Tuesday. 

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— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) May 20, 2026

Brunson was seen taking the lead with his teammates during a timeout in the third quarter with Knicks down 63-54.

According to Mike Brown, Brunson was telling his teammates to play faster, in general, and with more focus on defense.

Another part of the Knick captain’s message?

"Obviously they were down, and he was telling them to keep fighting, keep battling," people who were close enough to hear the message told SNY. "He was saying that even if they lose (Game 1), they needed to keep fighting because they could take that (approach) into Game 2."

The message didn’t pay immediate dividends as the Knicks fell behind by 22 points with just under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. But it ultimately was an important precursor to one of the most memorable comebacks in Knicks playoff history.

The Knicks ended up on a 44-11 run, igniting the crowd and forcing overtime. They outscored the Cavs 14-3 in the extra period to earn an improbable comeback win.

Brunson has talked often about the importance of this team sticking together through adversity, remaining focused on each possession. With Game 1 slipping away, the Knicks captain delivered a similar message during a timeout huddle.

"There were a couple things that he felt, and he made sure that we knew (them) and our guys responded to him," Brown said.