NEW YORK — At this point, declaring the excellence of Jalen Brunson is redundant. The words to describe another clutch performance, after another offensive explosion, tend to lose their impact because of repetition.In Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brunson did it again. As has become the norm since becoming Gotham’s knight, Brunson protected New York when the Knicks needed saving, leading the Knicks to a 115-104 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s become equally predictable as it is mesmerizing.What else is there to say about Jalen Brunson?Inside his home, scattered across a table, is the 7,500 piece LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon. It’s a project Brunson has tinkered with since arriving in New York in 2022, before people knew he’d be the savior of a franchise in despair. It’s a way to pass the time between being a father, husband and snatcher of souls.It’s only a quarter of the way done, though. He might get to it again one day. Or not. He’s busy right now.“Maybe I’ll pay someone to do it,” Brunson laughingly told The Athletic at his locker Tuesday night.By night, Brunson has no such trouble closing on the seemingly impossible. What Brunson did in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers was another day at the office, only this time it came with enhanced dramatics only meant for Broadway. A week from now, it might be considered the artist’s greatest work yet.The Knicks were getting a shellacking on their home court, down 22 with seven minutes and 45 seconds remaining. The groans from the faithful in attendance felt like a collective belief that the most anticipated season in recent franchise history was alarmingly and suddenly in jeopardy. Getting blown out at home in Game 1 threatened to erase all of the momentum the Knicks built, all of their dominance up to this point. The pending loss felt like the team’s NBA Finals drought could stretch into season 26.Then Brunson grabbed his cape.We still don’t know if he has just one or he rotates several, but over the final 7:45 of regulation, he swooped in and caught the Knicks before they crash landed. Brunson scored 15 of his game-high 38 points to force overtime. With Madison Square Garden combusting in a frenzy, the Knicks continued their surge in the extra frame to seal the win and undo all of what Cleveland had gotten right in the second half. Brunson, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, the small man who has never seen a task too tall, pumped belief back into The Mecca with each dribble, shot and pass despite the chaos surrounding him.“Obviously, we don’t get it done if Jalen Brunson doesn’t play like one of the MVP guys in the league,” New York head coach Mike Brown said. “He was phenomenal. He did what he was supposed to do tonight. It definitely helped us get the win.”