While the Knicks continue to make history, the overtime loss was a familiar story for NBA legend James Harden, who has a chance to erase his Finals Conference failures of yesteryear. Harden is considered one of the greatest offensive weapons the game has ever seen, racking up triple doubles and taking the iso game to a new level.
At his peak, Harden reached the Conference Finals four times, twice during his tenure with OKC early in his career (2010-11, 2011-12) and twice with the Houston Rockets (2014-15, 2017-18) as the main man. But he never got over the hump. First, it was San Antonio. Then Golden State was a brick wall. His failures in crucial games define his legacy as much as his three-year reign as the best in the game.
Knicks Coach Mike Brown Admits Knicks Took Advantage Of James Harden’s Defensive Woes
Harden’s never been known for his defensive prowess, but he’s also a shell of his former self as an offensive player, and as a point guard he’s a liability on the defensive end. As we saw in Game 1 when Jalen Brunson lit him up like the Fourth of July in Harlem.
Knicks coach Mike Brown let it be known that the key to their comeback was attacking the big-bellied “Beard.”
“They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen. … Just like we have to figure out different ways to guard Harden and Mitchell, they got to figure out ways to stop Jalen, but it’s no secret we were attacking Harden.”
Fans React To Mike Brown Admitting James Harden Was A Target On ‘D‘ In Game 1 Comeback
The audacity of Knicks coach Mike Brown to admit that they started bringing the heat to Harden on offense to get back into the game excited Knicks fans. It was a cockiness that Brown had not displayed too often in the past.
“Harden should’ve just fouled out. Would’ve helped the Cavs more,” one fan on X said.
“Harden is old and not a great defender. Mike Brown admits it,” another agreed.
“Wow…Harden has been exposed defensively..man can’t help offensively or defensively—Cavs are cooked,” one netizen surmised in the comments under Brown’s brash revelation.
“Dude is burnt toast,” another said of the 36-year-old 11-time All-Star.
One Dwyane Wade fan chimed in:
“Harden so trash bro lmao i know D wade was disgusted at them comparisons.”
Knicks Will Continue To Expose Harden’s Defense
Harden has to be prepared, because the key to victory has already been exposed and Brown isn’t acting like it’s some secret strategy. Go at the old dude.
“Mike Brown said it publicly before the game, executed it during the comeback, confirmed it after in the postgame, and Cleveland still could not stop it. Harden finished with 5 turnovers, 31 percent shooting, and 1 made three. Announcing your entire defensive game plan and still winning is a different level of confidence. Game 2 on Thursday and Harden now walks in knowing every possession New York will be hunting him specifically,” one astute fan noted.
New York Knicks Headed To NBA Finals?
It was only one game, but it seems like the Knicks took the heart out of the entire series with that remarkable comeback. Harden got locked up in the second half and could do nothing to stop Jalen Brunson’s onslaught of fourth-quarter buckets. If anyone should be invested in turning the series around, it’s Harden who after 16 years in the league is running out of time to stamp his NBA legacy with the seal of a champion.
Knicks Looking Like Dominant Team In The East
This might really be happening for the New York Knicks. One season after blowing a 17-point, fourth quarter lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, this New York Knicks team, led by first-year head coach Mike Brown, did the complete opposite on Tuesday night in front of a star-studded, packed house at Madison Square Garden.
They rallied from 22 points down to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime in Tuesday’s Eastern Conference finals opener at the Garden. It was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in the NBA playoffs in 13 years.
For a city who has been waiting patiently – since 1973 – to win an NBA championship, coming back from the dead in Game 1 changes the entire negative perspective that has infested old-school Knicks fans who suffered through championship failure in 1994 and 1999.
“I got to give my group credit,” Brown said. “They’ve been resilient all year and I don’t know if I’ve seen that in a playoff game. I don’t know if I’ve been a part of it, maybe I have. But to be down 18, 19, 20, whatever we were down and to find a way to come back and win. I mean I take my hat off to my group.”
Knicks Looked Buried, Down 22 Points In The Fourth Quarter
Everybody has been waiting for that stinker shooting game from Jalen Brunson, and it looked as if it might come on Tuesday with the Knicks hitting on just 2 of their first 14 three-point attempts.
Brunson finished with a game-high 38 points on 15-for-29 shooting after doing what he is paid to do and catching fire late. The combination of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell was only half effective as Mitchell had 29 points. The Knicks trailed by 22 in the fourth quarter. They looked buried. Then Brunson and his band of ballers saved the city again.
