NEW YORK -- In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks staged a comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers by relentlessly attacking James Harden. Trailing by 22 points with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks rallied with a 44-11 run in the final period and overtime to secure a historic victory.

"You gotta do what the game dictates," Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. "They were doing the same thing with Jalen, so we said, two can play that game."

Brunson, who finished with a game-high 38 points, scored 16 of those in the fourth quarter. He shot 7-of-11 from the field when guarded by Harden compared to 8-of-18 against other defenders. Harden struggled, shooting 1-of-6 and missing all three of his triples.

"It was no secret, we were attacking Harden," Brown added. "Just like we have to figure out different ways to guard Harden and [Donovan] Mitchell, they have to find ways to guard Jalen."

Brown's strategy of targeting Harden was reminiscent of his years as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, where he ran into Harden in the playoffs. "We played Houston in the playoffs. We counted Harden's dribbles," Brown said. "He's dribbling 1,000 times a game. [Kevin Durant] was at 300 or right below, so keep picking him up at full speed."

Despite the Cavaliers' advantage coming off a Game 7 victory over the Pistons just two days prior, their guards played 50% more minutes than the Knicks' guards. This took a toll in the fourth quarter, with the Cavaliers shooting just 29.4 percent and missing six of their seven shots in overtime.

The Knicks needed a spark, and it came from their leader. In a timeout before the comeback, Brunson pressed his teammates to be better defensively and to play faster. "Keep fighting, keep chipping away. We're not gonna get it back in one possession," Brunson said. "Most importantly, sticking together. No matter how that game finished, habits translate to the next game."