Mike Brown Makes Honest James Harden Admission After Knicks' Game 1 Win

Mike Brown is in just his first season as head coach of the New York Knicks, and he's now just three wins away from leading the franchise to the NBA Finals following its thrilling Game 1 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

New York trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter and appeared dead in the water. However, led by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks stormed back, forced overtime, and ultimately pulled away for a 115-104 win.

The Knicks consistently used screens to force switches that left Cavaliers guard James Harden defending Brunson, and Brunson took full advantage, finishing with a game-high 38 points.

After the game, Brown admitted there was no secret behind the strategy.

"They were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said we feel like we can play that game," Brown told reporters. "We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have somebody who can play that game in Jalen … but there's no secret we were attacking Harden."

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The New York Knicks closed the game on a stunning 44-11 run spanning the fourth quarter and overtime. During one stretch, New York outscored the Cleveland Cavaliers 30-8 while Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson called just one timeout.

Jalen Brunson entered the fourth quarter with 21 points and repeatedly attacked James Harden whenever he got him in isolation. The Cavaliers seemingly had no answer to stop it, which is certainly concerning heading into Game 2 on Thursday night.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 7:50 AM.