New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown didn’t hide the fact that his team targeted James Harden on nearly every offensive possession as it clawed back into Tuesday’s dramatic Game 1 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Sometimes, you got to do what the game dictates. They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen (Brunson),” Brown told reporters after the Knicks’ 115-104 victory, per SNY. “So we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’ We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.
“Just like we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and (Donovan) Mitchell, they’ve got to figure out different ways to guard Jalen. There’s no secret we were attacking Harden.”
New York trailed by 22 points with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before going on a 44-11 run to end the East finals series opener.
The Knicks’ rally was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in an NBA conference finals game in the play-by-play era.
Brunson fueled the Knicks’ surge, scoring 17 of his game-high 38 points across the fourth quarter and overtime.
Kenny Atkinson was asked postgame whether he considered benching Harden on defensive possessions down the stretch, but the Cavs head coach stood by his decision to keep the 11-time All-Star on the floor.
“He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn’t think about that,” Atkinson told reporters, including HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
The East finals resume Thursday with Game 2 in New York at 8 p.m. ET.
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