The New York Knicks dominated against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, securing a 115-104 victory at home. With Jalen Brunson (38 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL) delivering another clutch performance, the Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Jalen Brunson’s heroics in Game 1 cannot be understated. However, it was the tactical adjustment to target Cavaliers star James Harden on defense that paved the way for New York’s offense to flourish. Needless to say, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith was ruthless in his reaction to how Harden was exploited.
“Jalen Brunson goes ballistic and literally should be arrested for the assault that he put on James Harden,” Smith commented. “Just abused him at every single turn. Annihilated him, kept going by him, scored like 5 or 6 straight baskets. Then it got to a point where seemingly anybody, whether it was Mikal Bridges, whether it was Brunson, whether it was Landry Shamet, anybody who attempted a shot, it was James Harden in the vicinity.”
“So it ain’t just Jalen Brunson that should be arrested for assault; it’s the rest of the Knicks. Because everybody, at that point, was targeting James Harden because he couldn’t stop a cold.”
While James Harden is an elite offensive threat and has undoubtedly been one of the key players for the Cavs this postseason, he isn’t necessarily known for being an effective defender, though Atkinson argues otherwise. Hence, the Knicks’ strategy to target Harden on defense was bound to yield good results.
The Cavs held a 22-point lead with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. At this stage, the tides started shifting, as Jalen Brunson and the Knicks mounted an inspired comeback. With Brunson scoring 17 points in the fourth and OT, outscoring the Cavs 44-11 during that duration, Cleveland evidently did not have an answer for the Knicks’ superstar.
Emmanuel Acho Reacts To Jalen Brunson’s Treatment Of James Harden
Stephen A. Smith wasn’t the only media personality who acknowledged how egregiously Jalen Brunson and the Knicks targeted James Harden. While reviewing the game on “Speakeasy,” Acho slammed Harden for his poor defensive execution, stating:
“There are losses, and then there are catastrophic collapses, and what we saw tonight from the Cavs was a catastrophic, utterly embarrassing, completely putrid collapse, and it starts, and it ends with James Harden.”
“To come out Game 1 and let Jalen Brunson take your heart, let Jalen Brunson take your will, let Jalen Brunson take your manhood and do absolutely nothing about it in the Garden is shameful.”
“It would be one thing if you had an anemic offensive performance, but you were strapping on defense,” he added. “Harden, you were a leaky faucet, G, a leaky faucet that ended up flooding the entirety of the house because you couldn’t turn the water off on Jalen Brunson.”
Barring the steal and block he logged for the game, as Acho noted, Harden’s defensive effort was virtually non-existent in the fourth quarter. According to advanced statistics, the guard was the screening defender on 21 on-ball picks set by the Knicks in the fourth quarter. In these actions, New York averaged a whopping 1.6 points per play.
Although Harden was a defensive liability, there would be some respite if he had contributed offensively. Unfortunately, with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and six turnovers on 5-16 shooting from the field, the 36-year-old was unimpressive across the board.
Needless to say, this will become a festering issue for the Cavs. With a sizable chink in the armor, Cleveland must find a way to cut their losses if they hope to turn this series around.
