Despite a historic start to the playoffs for the New York Knicks, they came out of the gates extremely slow, falling down 93-71 to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the fourth quarter.
However, the Knicks managed to jump out of the slump right then, making an almighty push to come away with a 115-104 win in overtime.
For new head coach Mike Brown, though, the game plan was decidedly simple as they repeatedly targeted former MVP James Harden.
James Harden’s Defense Costs the Cavaliers Against the Knicks
Through three quarters, everything was going right for Cleveland. The Knicks, after resting for a week, weren’t able to get their legs under them, shooting under 20% from 3-point range. As a result, the Cavaliers’ lead continued to balloon.
However, down 22, the dam finally broke. Going on an 18-1 run to bring the game within five, New York completed the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in the last three decades, right behind the Los Angeles Clippers in 2012.
It was a former Maverick, though, who became the story of the game. During their miraculous turnaround, Jalen Brunson was at the center of it all, repeatedly targeting Harden on defense.
As it turns out, that was by design. After parting ways with Tom Thibodeau last summer despite making the Eastern Conference Finals, the investment in Brown has been an overall success.
Outscoring their opponents by 194 points through the first two rounds, New York proved it can battle out a gritty win as well.
After the game, he explained his straightforward strategy. “So, just like we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and Mitchell, they got to figure out different ways to guard Jalen. But it was no secret that we were attacking Harden.”
“It was no secret we were attacking Harden.”
— Mike Brown
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 20, 2026
So far this postseason, it looked like things flipped for the Knicks once they moved to a five-man offense rather than letting Brunson be the primary creator for everything. However, they still had that option in the bag.
Brown noted that while isolation plays aren’t their primary focus, they feel confident relying on Brunson in those situations.
Jalen Brunson Hunting James Harden pic.twitter.com/rlyEGCbdlf
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 20, 2026
However, the game plan was Harden-focused, and eventually, it proved to be enough, as a 9-0 run to begin overtime effectively sealed the victory for New York.
Brunson finished the game with 38 points, as four other Knicks players tallied 13 or more points to bring them within three games of a Finals appearance a quarter-century in the making.
