The Donovan Mitchell-led Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a stunning collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.
Despite holding a commanding 22-point lead with under eight minutes remaining in Tuesday’s ECF opener at Madison Square Garden, Cleveland watched Jalen Brunson and Co. rally for a shocking 115-104 overtime victory.
While Brunson’s heroics understandably stole headlines, three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe questioned the Cavaliers’ late-game defensive approach, specifically challenging Mitchell for not taking the Brunson assignment himself.
Why Shannon Sharpe Wants Donovan Mitchell to Guard Jalen Brunson
New York looked all but finished midway through the fourth quarter, trailing 93-71 with only 7:52 left as Madison Square Garden grew unusually quiet.
Then Brunson flipped the game entirely. The Knicks star ignited an 18-1 run, repeatedly attacking switches and exploiting Cavaliers guard James Harden defensively.
The turning point came when Brunson crossed over the 11-time All-Star and buried a clutch 3-pointer to cut Cleveland’s lead to five points at 94-89 with 3:30 remaining.
Harden answered with a basket of his own, but Brunson continued his relentless assault, later banking home a driving floater against him to help force overtime.
From there, the momentum had fully shifted. New York scored the first nine points of the extra session as they completed a staggering 44-11 run to secure the comeback victory, the largest postseason comeback in franchise history.
Brunson finished with 38 points, including an explosive fourth-quarter takeover in which he personally punched 15 points over the final quarter.
During that same stretch, Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley struggled to generate offense.
Watching Cleveland repeatedly leave Harden on Brunson late left Sharpe frustrated, particularly given Mitchell’s stature as the Cavaliers’ franchise player.
“Donovan can’t play no defense. That’s why they don’t take the challenge of guard Brunson. If you think about it, a lot of great players, be it KD, say I want the opportunity, I’m taking Bron. Bron says I’m taking KD. Russ says I’m taking this guy. Chris Paul says I’m taking that guy,” Sharpe said.
“That’s what the greats do. They guard other greats. They’re not going to put that man on somebody else and say somebody else handles this responsibility…”
To Cleveland’s credit, Mitchell carried a heavy offensive workload throughout the contest, adding 29 points, which likely factored into the Cavaliers keeping him in roaming and help responsibilities rather than assigning him full-time to Brunson.
Still, those defensive choices ultimately backfired. Cleveland opted for alternative matchups and help schemes rather than Mitchell, decisions that unraveled once the Knicks’ star began dictating switches and relentlessly hunting Harden.
The issue extended beyond a single defender, too. Brunson’s blend of pace, physicality, and elite pick-and-roll manipulation consistently forced Cleveland into uncomfortable positions. It helped him create separation and exploit mismatches regardless of who was assigned to guard him.
Still, the Knicks star went charging for Harden the most, and it’s probably when the game changed.
Brunson attacked him possession after possession as New York erased what once appeared to be an insurmountable deficit.
Now trailing 1-0 in the series while New York extends its playoff winning streak to eight games, the Cavaliers face pressing questions entering Game 2.
It’s how to stop Brunson from going on a Game 1-like rampage again and whether to push Mitchell against him.
