The New York Knicks pulled off one of their biggest playoff comebacks in years, and there was no mystery behind how they did it. Down by 22 with 8 minutes left in the 4th, the Knicks changed the gameplan, relentlessly targeting James Harden possession after possession, completely flipping the game in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The numbers tell the entire story. The Knicks forced Harden into defending nine isolations during the fourth quarter and overtime, generating an absurd 1.9 points per direct action. Every trip down the floor became a hunt. Whether it was Jalen Brunson creating space or switches involving bigger bodies attacking downhill, the Knicks clearly identified the matchup they wanted and never went away from it.
After the game, Mike Brown didn’t exactly hide the strategy either. “It was no secret we were attacking Harden,” Brown admitted. And honestly, why would they stop? Once the Knicks realized Cleveland couldn’t consistently protect Harden defensively, the offense completely opened up.
What made the comeback even more interesting was the response from Kenny Atkinson afterward. Despite Harden repeatedly being put in difficult spots, Atkinson made it clear he has no plans to make a major adjustment. “He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs,” Atkinson said. “I trust him.”
That confidence is now going to be heavily tested moving forward. Because if the Knicks showed anything in this comeback, it’s that they are more than willing to repeatedly exploit a weakness until the opposing team proves it can stop it. Right now, Cleveland hasn’t shown it can.
