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Cleveland Cavaliers' Kenny Atkinson and Dennis Schroder defended James Harden after another struggling performance in the Game 1 loss to the New York Knicks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers underwent a historic collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland gave up a 22-point lead in the final quarter of the game, leading to the New York Knicks storming back and taking the first game of the series.

It was a tough loss by the Cavaliers, but they will do their best to come back stronger in Game 2.

“Keep your head up. Don’t let one quarter affect you for the rest of the series… Respond to Game 2. Simple as that,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said following the loss.

James Harden Struggles in Game 1 Loss

Heading into the matchup, Knicks head coach Mike Brown decided to exploit James Harden.

“It was no secret we were attacking (James) Harden,” the coach said postgame.

This strategy worked for the Knicks, resulting in another forgettable performance from James Harden.

Through 42 minutes, Harden finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists while shooting 5-of-16 from the field and 1-of-8 from three. Turnovers were an issue once again for the 36-year-old, finishing with six.

This wasn’t the first time Harden struggled in a postseason game over the past month. In the Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Detroit Pistons, Harden was held to just 10 points in Game 2 and nine points in Game 7 while averaging 4.4 turnovers a game throughout the series.

Kenny Atkinson Backs James Harden After Tough Game 1 Outing

Despite everybody bringing up James Harden’s Game 1 performance, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson continues to stay in the veteran’s corner.

“I know everybody’s putting it on James, but I’d say a lot of is on the team, our team defense,” the head coach said. “And we were great for three quarters. Like, really, really great. So we can do it.”

Cleveland was just 12 minutes away from stealing the first game of the series from the Knicks. Entering the final quarter, the Cavaliers had a 14-point lead while getting it all the way up to 22. That was before the collapse and the Knicks eventually winning, 115-104 in overtime.

Dennis Schroder Praises Jalen Brunson, Does Not Blame James Harden for Game 1 Collapse

In the comeback, the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson contributed 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter, resulting in New York forcing overtime.

Cavaliers backup point guard Dennis Schroder praised Brunson’s performance rather than placing the blame on James Harden in the loss.

“Jalen Brunson is one of the most clutch players in the NBA. Social media for that is just in a bad place,” the veteran guard said. “I think that we lost the game. Basketball is a team game. It’s everybody on the bench, coaches, the guys who were on the court. At the end of the day, he made some tough shots and good credit.”

Cavaliers Look to Shake Off Game 1 Loss

There are two different ways the Cavaliers can react to their Game 1 loss: Cleveland can put the game behind them and show up as they did in the first three quarters, or think about losing the lead and crawl into their shell for the rest of the series.

The ultimate goal for the Cavaliers is to steal a game on the road before heading back to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4. They are ultimately still able to do so.

Game 2 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks will take place on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EDT.