How the Cavaliers can protect James Harden from the Knicks’ picks
The New York Knicks did not want advanced stratagems or tactical trickery to tug off their 22-point fourth-quarter comeback to steal Tuesday’s Game 1 from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Instead, the Knicks’ method was easy, efficient and uncovered to the complete basketball-watching world.
“It was no secret,” Knicks coach Mike Brown mentioned afterward. “We were attacking Harden.”
That was a blunt assertion towards Cleveland guard James Harden. But it was no much less vicious than the Knicks’ remedy of the former MVP and future Hall of Famer all through their historic comeback. They had been relentless in searching for out Harden on the defensive finish, and so they took benefit of Cleveland’s incapability to cease Jalen Brunson from scoring on Harden.
This brutally profitable tactic poses a thorny query for Cleveland because it enters Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals (8 pm ET, ESPN). It additionally provides New York a blueprint to torch the Cavs’ protection the remainder of the sequence.
The tables have turned
The Knicks did not begin attacking Harden from the opening tip. In truth, they did not goal Harden with any picks in the first quarter, and so they did so solely six occasions by way of the first three quarters, in line with GeniusIQ monitoring.
But in the fourth quarter, dealing with a big deficit and a dwindling clock, the Knicks’ offense used the man Harden was guarding — usually Michael Bridges or OG Anunoby — to set a display a whopping 16 occasions.
No guard had been screened extra typically in any playoff quarter in the monitoring period (since 2013-14). New York focused Harden with 27 picks general, the most he had defended in a single sport in his 17-year profession.
Harden, by the way, ought to be acquainted with this single-minded method. Out of 42 earlier situations in the monitoring period wherein a guard had defended a minimum of 10 screens in 1 / 4, greater than half concerned the Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry. A big portion of these situations had Harden as the attacker again when he was a member of the Houston Rockets.
That method made sense: Curry’s teammates included ace defenders Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. Prime Harden’s finest probability to attain was to focus on their smallest defender, Curry.
New York has adopted the philosophy practically a decade later.
Beginning with 8:30 remaining in regulation on Tuesday, the Knicks manipulated the matchups to change Harden onto Brunson for 10 consecutive possessions. It stalled the first two occasions: Brunson handed to Karl-Anthony Townswho missed a driving layup, and Brunson kicked out to Bridges, who bricked an open 3-pointer.
New York scored 18 factors on the subsequent eight possessions, 13 from Brunson alone. He beat Harden with floaters, pull-up jumpers and a crossover, behind-the-back dribble right into a momentous 3-point splash. Fool me as soon as, disgrace on you; idiot me eight occasions in a row, disgrace on the Cavaliers’ defensive ideas for permitting such a streak.
While the Knicks compelled Harden to defend screens at an unprecedented fee, they did not pressure him to really defend Brunson each possession. Yet Cleveland was completely prepared to surrender the change, at the same time as Harden repeatedly bought overwhelmed.
For occasion, throughout the remaining play from that 10-possession run, Bridges’ display did not even make contact with Cavs ahead Dean Wade earlier than the two Cleveland defenders change.
— KramClips (@KramClips) May 21, 2026
At that time, the Cavaliers’ 22-point lead had failed to 5 factors, and coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as a timeout to vary techniques. From then on, Cleveland largely doubled Brunson — however whereas that stopped his particular person scoring, it opened lanes for Bridges and Anunoby, which helped New York tie the rating.
Finally, with the Knicks down by two factors in the final 30 seconds after a clutch Harden bucket at the different finish, New York went again to what that they had labored all quarter.
Cleveland as soon as extra switched even earlier than Bridges’ display made contact, and Brunson scooted round Harden for a simple score-tying floater. New York coasted in additional time from there.
— KramClips (@KramClips) May 21, 2026
Cleveland’s defensive choices
Harden is not usually a disastrous display defender. In the common season, opponents scored 1.00 factors per choose in opposition to Harden that led on to a shot, foul, turnover or shot one go away, per GeniusIQ. The general league common was 0.99.
But in Game 1 in opposition to New York, that quantity was 1.53. When Harden switched, it was 1.80. (For reference, that is additionally the anticipated factors per possession when Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attracts a taking pictures foul.) Harden merely is not outfitted to match up in opposition to Brunson one-on-one in area.
The options aren’t very interesting. The Cavs can’t disguise Harden on the least threatening offensive participant, as a result of Donovan Mitchell additionally wants somebody to protect. Doubling did not work down the stretch in Game 1. Nor do the Cavaliers wish to ship additional assist and get in rotation in opposition to the Knicks’ offense, which might generate open 3s.
The most suitable choice may be for Harden and Wade to extra actively struggle by way of screens, reasonably than grant the change so passively.
They can pressure Bridges and Anunoby — who do not usually display with the frequency of Knicks massive males Towns and Mitchell Robinson — to really set agency picks or else stick to their preliminary assignments and make the 6-foot-2 Brunson rating over the extra agile (and 6-foot-9) Wade.
Generally, guards usually tend to change than larger defenders. Leaguewide this season, guards switched 45% of the time when defending screens, as in contrast with 30% for forwards and 13% for facilities. That’s partially as a result of guards are usually higher suited to defend the ball handler. But in Game 1, on this particular matchup, Brunson uncovered Harden as poorly suited to that activity.
The Cavaliers can work out and execute a greater plan in Game 2 might dictate whether or not they steal a win in New York or return dwelling down 0-2 for the second sequence in a row.