For three and a half quarters, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals looked like the JV version of the Spurs-Thunder varsity headliner. The Cavs were up 22. The Knicks couldn't throw it in the ocean. Madison Square Garden was a cemetery.
And then Jalen Brunson happened.
Brunson Orchestrates Historic Comeback
Over the final 12 minutes and 39 seconds of the game, which included a five-minute overtime, Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points as the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit by way of a 44-11 run to absolutely gut the Cavs.
Final score: Knicks 115, Cavs 104. Knicks lead the series 1-0. It feels like this was worth more than one win.
Playoff History Made
The Knicks are no strangers to huge fourth-quarter comebacks in Game 1 of the conference finals. Last year, they were on the wrong end as Indiana came back from 14 down inside the final three minutes to shock them in overtime.
This time, the Knicks did the shocking with the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in the play-by-play era (dating back to 1997).
Over that span, teams leading by at least 22 points in the fourth quarter were an incredible 594-1. The only team to blow that kind of lead in a playoff game was the 2012 Grizzlies, who got by the Clippers. Make that 594-2 as the Cavs have made the wrong kind of history.
How It Happened: Brunson Torches Harden
Pretty simply, Brunson hunted down James Harden, threw him on his barbecue, and proceeded to cook him well past the point of done. If you're a Cavs fan or a Harden defender (those two words should never be used in the same sentence, by the way), cover your eyes.
Just to be extra cautious (nobody wants salmonella), Brunson left Harden on the grill for one last char job in overtime.
If you're keeping score at home, Brunson made eight of his final 10 shots while Harden and Donovan Mitchell combined to miss nine of their final 10.
Other Key Moments
Some other stuff happened along the way. Mikal Bridges hit two huge 3s in the closing minutes. Landry Shamet tied it with a corner 3 that hit every part of the rim before falling with 45 seconds left, while Sam Merrill's potential game-winner was halfway down before rimming out to conclude regulation.
You know what they say about getting a few bounces to go your way and all. The Knicks got the bounces at the end. But it never should have gotten to that point.
The Coaching Decision
Kenny Atkinson will never admit this, but he probably should've gotten Harden out of the game when the Cavs were up 22, or at least when it became clear that Brunson was going to be hunting him on every possession.
"He's been one of our best defenders in these playoffs," Atkinson said after the game when asked if he considered benching Harden. "I trust him. Smart. Great hands. Didn't think about that."
At that point, the Cavs didn't need Harden's offense. His defense, however, was one of the only things that could've tripped them up with that kind of lead. It did more than trip them. It sent them crashing into an all-time finish-line face plant.
Harden's Postseason Struggles
Harden has had an interesting postseason. He hasn't shot well and he's turned it over like crazy. At the same time, his on/off splits look fantastic. The Cavs entered Game 1 having outscored their postseason opponents by 62 points over 524 minutes with Harden on the floor, while being outscored by 40 points in his 158 bench minutes.
Those numbers were not an accident. His inefficient shooting and turnover issues notwithstanding, Harden's ability to make plays for his teammates (he's taken that burden off Mitchell's shoulders) has totally unlocked Cleveland's offense. Mitchell has gotten to attack defenses in rotation. By pulling two defenders out, Harden has gotten Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen going with pocket passes into 4-on-3 advantages.
Personally, I would argue the Harden trade has been a major success for the Cavs in simply getting this far and with Harden, who leads the team in postseason minutes, playing such a big role.