beyond the back page How Jalen Brunson’s torture of James Harden drew battle lines for rest of Knicks-Cavaliers By Jake Nisse Published May 21, 2026, 7:55 a.m. ET Jalen Brunson drives around James Harden in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Knicks and Cavaliers on May 19, 2026. AP It took roughly three-and-a-half quarters, but the Knicks found quite the winning recipe toward the end of their stunning Game 1 comeback win against the Cavaliers.
Jalen Brunson put James Harden on an island in the fourth quarter, as he isolated on the future Hall of Famer a staggering nine times and routinely burned his opponent, helping the Knicks average 1.9 points per action.
“It was no secret we were attacking Harden,” a smirking Mike Brown said after the 115-104 win.
