Knicks overturn 22-point deficit with tactical strike on Harden to take Eastern Conference finals lead
Jalen Brunson scores 38 points as New York defeats Cleveland 115-104 in overtime, establishing a 1-0 series advantage.
The New York Knicks have secured a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals after overturning a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime. The victory, recognised as one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, was driven by a specific tactical shift implemented by head coach Mike Brown, who directed his team to relentlessly target Cavaliers guard James Harden on defence.
Trailing late in the fourth quarter, the Knicks executed a 44-11 scoring run to erase the deficit and force overtime. Jalen Brunson led the offensive surge, scoring 38 points in total, including 16 in the fourth quarter. Brunson shot 7-of-11 from the field when guarded by Harden, compared to 8-of-18 when defended by other players. In contrast, Harden managed only six points, shooting 1-of-6 from the field and missing all three of his three-point attempts.
Brown confirmed the transparency of the strategy, noting that the Cavaliers had been exploiting Brunson on defence. "They were doing the same thing with Jalen so we said, two can play that game," Brown said. The coach cited his previous experience with the Golden State Warriors, where he observed strategies used against Harden during playoff matchups with the Houston Rockets, including counting his dribbles to identify fatigue.
The tactical decision appeared to exploit physical disparities, with Brown noting that Cleveland’s guards played 50 per cent more minutes than New York’s. The Cavaliers had nine days off following their sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Knicks had just played a Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons two days prior. Cleveland shot just 29.4 per cent in the fourth quarter and missed six of their seven shots in overtime.
The game concluded with the Cavaliers missing a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime. Knicks forward OG Anunoby returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games against the Philadelphia 76ers, contributing to a team cohesion that Brown highlighted as a significant shift from previous seasons of internal dysfunction.
