Something strange happens to James Harden when the playoff lights get too bright. A 22-point lead vanished during the opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals. What looked like a victory turned into a historic collapse.

The Cavaliers held a 93-71 lead with around eight minutes left in the 4th quarter. Suddenly, the Knicks closed out regulation and overtime on a 44-11 run to win 115-104. Kendrick Perkins reacted to the game on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on May 20, 2026.

A video clip posted by the @SportsCenter X account reveals the frustration. Perkins focused his attention on the late-game presence of Harden.

“When the pressure is on, we watch [James] Harden and the Cleveland Cavaliers fold like clean sheets,” Perkins said during the broadcast. He then added to the criticism by calling Harden a “defensive liability” for the Cavaliers. 

Jalen Brunson went an incredible 7-for-8 shooting against Harden in the 4th quarter and overtime. In total, Harden allowed 9-of-15 shooting as the primary defender, while all other Cavs combined allowed just 7-of-13.

Cleveland shot a terrible 4-for-18 over the final 12:49 of game time. To make matters worse, Harden and Donovan Mitchell combined for a mere three points late in the game.

Harden finished with just 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the floor, including 1-of-8 from three-point range. He also committed 6 turnovers and managed only 3 points during the deciding phase of the game.

The criticism also shifted toward head coach Kenny Atkinson and his late-game decisions. Perkins called out Atkinson for keeping his aging guard on the floor despite the obvious defensive mismatch.

Atkinson later responded to the media by saying, “We got a little unlucky, quite honestly.” 

Cleveland’s biggest stars disappeared during winning time, which made the criticism even louder heading into Game 2.

Cavaliers Now Need Harden to Deliver His Best 

Cleveland traded for Harden during the 2025-26 season to bring in playoff experience and secondary playmaking. Instead, this performance has now raised concerns about his overall defensive fit.

Cleveland did do some things right before the collapse. Mitchell played well and carried the offense with 29 points. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen helped the team to build a double-digit lead.

The Knicks intentionally hunted the defensive mismatch to start the comeback. They used full-court pressure and constant switches to put Harden into difficult defensive situations. Harden tried to brush off the outside noise during his press conference.

“What chatter? I play basketball, and whatever this team needs me to do, I’m gonna go out there and do it,” he stated after the loss. 

The Knicks currently lead the Eastern Conference Finals 1-0. Game 2 is now about whether Harden can escape the playoff criticism that has followed him for years.

Do you think the Cavaliers can bounce back in Game 2, or will the Knicks take a 2-0 lead?

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi