The Cleveland Cavaliers head into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight still trying to solve the problem that doomed them in Tuesday’s opener: how to keep All-Star guard James Harden from becoming the New York Knicks’ preferred target.
What happened
New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit on May 19 by relentlessly forcing Harden to defend pick-and-roll actions. According to GeniusIQ tracking, the Knicks brought a screen to Harden 27 times—more than in any other game of his 17-year career—and used 16 of those picks in the final period alone. No guard has faced that many on-ball screens in a single playoff quarter since tracking began in 2013-14.
How the matchup unfolded
Through three quarters, New York attacked Harden on only six occasions and never in the opening frame. The strategy shifted with 8:30 left in regulation when wings Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby began setting ball screens to force switches that put Harden on Jalen Brunson. The Knicks scored on eight of the next ten possessions, with Brunson pouring in 13 points during that stretch.
Cleveland’s initial response was to switch automatically, even when the screener failed to make contact, allowing Brunson to isolate against Harden repeatedly. After a timeout, the Cavaliers tried trapping Brunson; that adjustment slowed the point guard but freed Bridges and Anunoby for open looks that helped tie the game. With 30 seconds remaining and the Cavs up two, New York reverted to the original plan, Brunson floated home the equalizer over Harden, and the Knicks controlled overtime to claim Game 1.
The statistical damage
During the regular season, opponents produced 1.00 points per Harden-defended pick that resulted directly in a shot, foul, turnover or quick pass, virtually matching the league average of 0.99. In Game 1, that figure ballooned to 1.53, and an eye-catching 1.80 when Cleveland switched the action, approximating the expected value of a possession in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws a shooting foul.
Limited defensive options
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has few easy fixes. Hiding Harden on a lower-usage Knick is complicated because fellow guard Donovan Mitchell also needs relief. Hard doubles left Cleveland scrambling in rotation, gifting New York clean three-point looks. One potential adjustment: ask Harden and forward Dean Wade to fight through screens rather than concede switches, forcing Bridges or Anunoby to set sturdier picks or letting the 6-foot-9 Wade challenge Brunson’s shots.
League-wide data show guards switch 45 percent of screens, compared with 30 percent for forwards and 13 percent for centers, but Tuesday’s result suggests Cleveland may need to buck that trend to prevent a repeat.
What’s next
Game 2 tips off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers hope a revised scheme keeps Harden out of isolation and avoids a second straight 0-2 hole this postseason.
Source: ESPN
