Mike Brown Reveals James Harden Game Plan After Knicks' Game 1 Win
James Harden has been among the greatest offensive players of this generation. For years, several teams have created game plans to stop the veteran guard. Luckily for the New York Knicks, head coach Mike Brown spilled the beans on how to defend Harden after the Game 1 win.
The Knicks were down by 22 points in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Nonetheless, Jalen Brunson and the other players powered through and took the game to overtime, eventually winning 115-104.
Meanwhile, for Harden, though he had some clutch moments in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, the game wasn't his best. The 2018 NBA MVP played 42 minutes, but finished with only 15 points. He shot 5-of-16 from the field and made just one 3-pointer out of his eight attempts.
Following the Game 1 win, the Knicks head coach revealed how his team managed to contain Harden. Brown then explained how he used his expertise from his time with the Golden State Warriors. "When I was in Golden State and we played Houston, we counted James Harden's dribbles," Brown said. "We told our guys he's dribbling close to 1000 times a game."
The coach then claimed that the Warriors players were told to continue picking him up and make him dribble. "At the end of the game, it would wear him down," Brown said. He also pointed out how Harden doesn't do that anymore since the Cavaliers now have Donovan Mitchell to do it. The Knicks head coach worked as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr from 2016 to 2022.
It was during this time that the Warriors faced a strong challenge from the Houston Rockets. In the 2018 Western Conference Finals, Harden scored 201 points in the entire series against the Warriors. However, a roster filled with Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and other stars was too difficult for Harden to overcome in a seven-game series.
Now, years later, Harden has another chance to overcome Brown's same game plan. But the 36-year-old has struggled both offensively and defensively in the past few games. As the Cavaliers look to level the series in Game 2, Kenny Atkinson would love to have vintage Harden back on the court to lead Cleveland against the Knicks.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 9:27 AM.