The Cleveland Cavaliers looked ready to steal home court in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Then everything unraveled, and unfortunately for Cleveland, James Harden was at the center of the collapse.
There are awful losses.
There are catastrophic losses.
Then there’s what just happened to the Cavs.
They went from stealing home court to truly drawing absolutely dead in this series.
The Knicks could be -1000 for the series & it wouldn’t be enough.
After building a commanding 22-point lead in the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the Cavaliers completely fell apart down the stretch.
They eventually lost 115-104 in overtime in what became the biggest comeback in Knicks playoff franchise history.
While Cleveland’s collapse was a total team disaster, the spotlight quickly shifted to Harden after another brutal postseason performance in a big moment.
Harden finished with just 15 points on 5-16 shooting, including 1-8 from three-point range. He also committed six turnovers, picked up five fouls and finished with a -6 rating in 42 minutes.
Even more concerning, the veteran guard looked overwhelmed late as Jalen Brunson repeatedly targeted him defensively during New York’s furious comeback.
As one fan account posted during overtime, “The final 10 minutes of this game has been an absolutely disaster for James Harden.”
Social Media Rips James Harden During Cavs Collapse
Social media wasted no time piling on as Cleveland’s lead disappeared.
“James Harden is doing his best to give this away,” sports personality Skip Bayless posted during the fourth quarter collapse.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy also joined in after the loss, writing, “I can’t believe all these years later I’m still watching James Harden getting absolutely cooked in the playoffs.”
Another stat that immediately went viral highlighted Harden’s ongoing postseason struggles. According to UnderDog Fantasy, Harden has now played 188 playoff games in his career, and 48 of them have featured as many or more turnovers than made field goals. Tuesday marked yet another addition to that list, as Harden had six turnovers compared to just five made shots.
NBA Central also posted Harden’s final stat line while reactions flooded social media:
15 points 5/16 FG 1/8 3PT 6 turnovers 5 fouls -6
(Via @realapp )
“15 points
5/16 FG
1/8 3PT
6 turnovers
5 fouls”
The criticism only intensified during overtime as Brunson completely took over the game. The Knicks star finished with 38 points and repeatedly hunted Harden in isolation situations during the final minutes.
One viral reaction summed up the mood online: “Nobody has ever wanted to be anywhere less than James Harden wants to be in a game of one-on-one against Brunson in overtime.”
The reaction is continuing to pile on.
Cavaliers Need More From Harden Moving Forward
The frustrating part for Cleveland is that the Cavaliers had complete control for most of the night.
Donovan Mitchell was sensational, finishing with 29 points and six steals, while Evan Mobley dominated stretches defensively and helped the Cavs push the lead past 20 early in the fourth quarter. Cleveland appeared poised to silence the Madison Square Garden crowd and steal momentum in the series.
Instead, the Knicks exploded on a 30-8 run to close regulation before completely dominating overtime 14-3.
They ended the game on a 44-11 run.
As the lead disappeared, Harden’s offensive struggles became impossible to ignore. He struggled to create separation, settled for contested jumpers and committed several costly turnovers that fueled New York’s transition offense.
Defensively, the Knicks attacked him possession after possession, particularly Brunson, who finally found his rhythm late after a relatively quiet first three quarters.
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson will likely face questions for his late-game adjustments, but Harden is once again taking the majority of the heat after another disappointing playoff showing.
For a player whose postseason legacy has already been heavily scrutinized throughout his career, Game 1 added another painful chapter.
Now the Cavaliers head into Game 2 desperately needing a response, especially from Harden, after wasting what should have been a statement win on the road in Game 1.
Cavaliers’ James Harden Draws Massive Criticism After Game 1 Loss to Knicks