NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson repeatedly exploited James Harden defensively in the final period, while the veteran guard couldn’t provide enough offensive production to compensate.
The New York Knicks erased a 22-point deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday evening, with Harden’s defensive and offensive struggles contributing significantly to the stunning collapse.
Brunson dominated multiple consecutive possessions by driving against Harden’s defense. The point guard tallied 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting during the fourth quarter exclusively.
“He made some tough ones, but we obviously all know he’s a great 1-on-1 player,” Harden said. “Anybody on an island, it’s going to be difficult, so we’ve got to do a better job of making sure he sees bodies. On the other hand, they do a good job at supporting him and helping him when he’s on an island. He made some tough ones, but we’ve got to do a better job as a team.”
New York’s coach Mike Brown deliberately placed the basketball in Brunson’s control and relied on his floor general to take advantage of the defensive matchup against Harden.
“There is no secret: We were attacking Harden,” Brown said. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’ We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.”
Brunson managed just 14 points through the first half, as Cleveland’s strategy of switching multiple defenders against him proved effective until he began facing Harden individually to ignite the rally.
“Jalen was a little bit more aggressive,” Harden said. “We just allowed him to be aggressive, and he made shots and he continued to make shots.”
Coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that he and his coaching staff implemented adjustments, though none proved successful.
“We started sending two at him, getting the ball out of his hands, full rotating,” Atkinson said. “James was good most of the game. Listen, we weren’t great defensively in the fourth quarter.”
Following a 48-hour turnaround after eliminating Detroit in Game 7 of the previous round, Atkinson said he never contemplated removing Harden from defensive assignments.
“Listen, he’s been one of our best defenders and a big player in the playoffs,” Atkinson said. “I trust him. He’s smart, great hands.”
Acquiring Harden, an 11-time All-Star, during February helped drive the Cavaliers to this stage. However, the 36-year-old veteran experienced difficulties handling the basketball Tuesday evening as well.
Harden connected on 5 of 16 field goal attempts, including 1 of 8 from three-point territory, while committing six turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell, who paced Cleveland with 29 points, emphasized that he and his teammates could have contributed much more as a unit to contain Brunson and refused to place responsibility for the shocking loss solely on Harden.
“Ultimately, this isn’t on him — it’s on all of us,” Mitchell said. “It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough. He understands that.”
