James Harden Admits Cavaliers Are Struggling Against Jalen Brunson

The late-game heroics by Brunson are nothing new, and stellar fourth quarters have seemed to become expected from the 2025 NBA Clutch Player of the Year. When a reporter asked Harden postgame to assess his defense on Brunson in the matchup, Harden admitted Brunson made tough shots, that he cannot be left on an island alone against Brunson, and that the team as a whole has to be better against him.

“He made some tough ones, he made some tough ones,” said Harden. “But obviously we all know he is a great one-on-one player, and I think anybody on an island, it’s going to be difficult. So, we got to do a better job of making sure he sees bodies. On the other end, they do a good job of supporting him and helping him when he’s on an island. So, he made some tough ones, but we got to do a better job as a team, just because it’s not a one-man job, so, we got to be better in that aspect. I think he made a couple of them, which really got them going.”

Cleveland is back at Madison Square Garden on Thursday for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against New York, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.