Comeback kids

The Knicks' 22-point rally in the fourth quarter of Game 1 on Tuesday night is the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback win in the playoffs since the NBA's play-by-play era began in 1997 and one of just four that involved a 20-plus point fourth-quarter deficit. The other three, and how those series shook out: 

April 29, 2012: Clippers vs Grizzlies, Western Conference first round Game 1

The Grizzlies held.a 24-point lead over the Clippers (88-64) with 11:37 left in the final frame, but Los Angeles went on an improbable 28-3 run in the final 9:13 to rally for the 99-98 win. The Clippers got 23 points from their bench in the fourth quarter, led by Nick Young's nine. L.A. won the series in seven games but would be swept by the Spurs in the conference semifinals.

May 25, 2002: Celtics vs. Nets, Eastern Conference Finals Game 3

Boston trailed by 21 points (74-53) to start the fourth quarter, but Paul Pierce scored 19 points as the Celtics outscored the Nets, 41-19, to take a 94-90 win. The victory gave the Celtics a 2-1 series lead, but the Nets went on close out the series with three straight wins before getting swept by the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

April 23, 2015: Golden State vs. Pelicans, Western Conference first round Game 3

Down 89-69 to start the fourth quarter, Golden State went on to force overtime after Steph Curry (10 points in the fourth) hit a game-tying three in the final seconds. Golden State went on to complete the four-game sweep and eventually won the NBA title.