It’s like the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t realize they were allowed to do something different.
As the New York Knicks mounted one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the NBA playoffs, they continued to send the man James Harden was guarding to screen the guy guarding Jalen Brunson. The Cavs would switch, Harden would be on Brunson, and the Knicks’ lefty guard would go to work against Cleveland’s southpaw.
It was a total and utter mismatch.
Brunson carried the Knicks from 22 points down to force overtime, where they won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final in a stunner.
The Cavs never changed their approach, and it cost them a game they had absolutely zero business losing.
JALEN BRUNSON JUST COOKED HARDEN. OMG. KNICKS ARE ROLLING. pic.twitter.com/kFEXyTD1KE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 20, 2026
It’s a bizarre plight of the modern NBA. Defenses are so switch-happy that even if a screener just sort of arrives in the area, the defense will switch.
It means it wasn’t hard at all for the Knicks to get Harden on Brunson every time down the floor, and the aging Harden simply couldn’t handle Brunson at all.
For a few possessions, fine, it happens. Eventually, though, it’s shocking that Cleveland didn’t do anything different.
Double team on the screen, or don’t switch, or shade the big on the inside way in Harden’s direction.
It was as if the Cavs truly believed they couldn’t lose this game. Why else let Harden be on this island with no adjustment?
If Cleveland’s season ends in this series, it will be in large part because of their historic blown lead in Game 1.
And the main culprit of that was Harden switching onto Brunson, over and over again, with no change in plan.
The Cavs did a lot wrong down the stretch, but this defensive assignment was very controllable, and Cleveland let the Knicks get exactly what they wanted.
The Cavaliers will have to take a different approach in the games ahead, but after what Brunson already did to Harden, it might be too late.