Knicks flip script, attack James Harden to spark Game 1 rallyVincent GoodwillMay 20, 2026, 01:42 AM ETMultiple Authors
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NEW YORK — It wasn’t quite a matter of pettiness, but the New York Knicks found their idea for an improbable comeback thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers trying to exploit Jalen Brunson on defense.
Trailing 22 points with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks had Brunson go at James Harden. The result was a 44-11 flurry by New York in the fourth quarter and overtime to complete on of the greatest comebacks in NBA history.
“You gotta do what the game dictates,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown stated. “They were doing the same thing with Jalen so we stated, two can play that game.”
According to ESPN Analytics, the Cavaliers had a 99.9 percent chance of winning with 7:49 remining. The Cavaliers rhythm was winning out against the Knicks’ rust, having nine days off following their sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers. And they were getting great looks by going at Brunson and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
But something flipped with the Knicks and it begun with Brunson dictating switches on the 36-year old Harden, who didn’t have the legs or perhaps the wherewithal to keep up with Brunson. The Knicks point guard attacked Harden relentlessly late in the fourth quarter, at one point hitting five straight field goals to cut Cleveland’s lead down to five.
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Brunson scored 16 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth, while Harden shot 1-of-6 from the field and missed all three of his triples. Brunson finished the game shooting 7-of-11 from the field when being guarded by Harden vs. 8-of-18 when being defended by anyone else.
“It was no secret, we were attacking Harden,” Brown stated. “Just like we have to figure out different ways to guard Harden and [Donovan] Mitchell, they have to find ways to guard Jalen.”
It’s not common to see a coach confirm something so transparent, but Brown has had plenty of experience seeing Harden on the other side of the court. His years as an assistant with Golden State saw him run into Harden in the Western Conference and each time, Brown and the Warriors moved on.
“We played Houston in the playoffs. We counted Harden’s dribbles,” Brown stated. “He’s dribbling 1,000 times a game. [Kevin Durant] was at 300 or right below, so keep picking him up at full speed.
“Because at the end of series, at the end of games, it’ll wear him down. Did it? Probably not. But you say stuff like that to give your guys a psychological advantage.”
It seemed to wear Harden down on Tuesday night, and his teammates — coming off a Game 7 victory over the Pistons just two days ago — didn’t fair much better. The Cavaliers shot just 29.4 percent in the fourth and missed six of their seven shots in overtime.
“Cleveland’s guards, they played 50 percent more minutes than our guards. Could that take a toll? We told our guys it could take a toll so stay with it,” Brown stated. “You hope telling your guys, it gives a little bit of psychological advantage.”
Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who made his comeback after missing the last two games against the Philadelphia 76ers, stated the players could feel the team’s rhythm coming back as the game wore on, but the rust could’ve cost them a game if the Cavaliers didn’t collapse in the fourth.
The Knicks needed a spark, and it came from their leader. In the timeout before the comeback ensued, Brunson could be seen pressing his teammates to be better defensively and to play faster.
“Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We’re not gonna get it back in one possession,” Brunson stated. “Most importantly, sticking together. No matter how that game finished, habits translate, translates to the next game. We’re just doing, we’re not giving up. We don’t wanna give up, ever, so having faith in each other.”
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