In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, quite the scene was set. The New York Knicks came out at home with a significant rest advantage and gave up a 22-point lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The guys in orange and blue would finish that game victorious on the back of their second-most impressive comeback win of the postseason. The first would come one round and three games later, against the San Antonio Spurs.
At a certain point, New York’s comeback began to feel like a broken record. For fans of Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, it likely felt more like having a new hit single on repeat. It felt like every time Brunson brought the ball up the court, he was guarded by James Harden. And like every time he was guarded by Harden, he gave him a bucket.
Cleveland extended Harden on Thursday, signing the 36-year-old guard to a three-year, $97 million contract that reportedly has both a player option and trade kicker. Brunson’s favorite defender shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Knicks can still handle these Cavaliers
The NBA’s Eastern Conference was its better conference last season. The events of this offseason have done little to reverse those projections for 2027. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown were dealt in-conference and LeBron James left the West after an eight-year stop in Hollywood.
It might be easy to forget that the Cavaliers were just Eastern Conference Finalists, particularly because the Knicks swept the floor with them throughout the series (and closed it out with what was becoming a signature blowout victory).
Donovan Mitchell and Harden’s team, however, did get past the Detroit Pistons — who gave the Knicks trouble throughout the regular season — on their way to being on the wrong end of that sweep.Â
Their frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen gives them a unique approach to big-man coverage. One could argue the Knicks were the only Eastern team to share that kind of advantage last season, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson on the roster.
With only half of that duo returning, Mike Brown is going to need OG Anunoby and Josh Hart to be extra switchable. With Brunson, Towns, and the rest of their core on their side, though, the Knicks still project as the best team in the conference — even against a slightly-revamped Cavaliers squad.Â
Just get Harden switched onto Brunson. Everyone should know what comes next. Does Cleveland have an answer for that yet?
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