Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a James Harden problem. Can they solve it?

Published

3 months ago

May 21, 2026

NEW YORK — At their lowest point Tuesday night, the New York Knicks found the cure for their problems. He stood 6-5, weighed 220 pounds and wore a bushy black beard. And he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks set their eyes on James Harden and attacked him mercilessly. Down 22 points with 7:52 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Knicks spent the rest of regulation hanging their comeback hopes on Harden. They seized on the weakest spot in the Cavaliers’ defense and kept pressing.

For 15 consecutive possessions, the Knicks went right at Harden. They switched him onto an island against Jalen Brunson. They sent him running around in recover mode. They forced him to twist and turn and shuffle and answer for every Brunson dribble and movement.

It worked, maybe, beyond the Knicks’ wildest dreams. Those 15 possessions led to 30 points; they scored on 13 of them. By the time the Knicks’ reached overtime on Tuesday night, they had laid the foundation for not just beating the Cavaliers in Game 1 but for the rest of the series.

“It was no secret we were attacking Harden,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said after a 115-104 overtime win.

Now, as the Cavaliers await Game 2 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, down 1-0 after blowing a golden chance to take an early hold of the Eastern Conference finals, they have to find a remedy for what ailed them down the stretch Tuesday and likely will for the next two weeks. The Cavaliers have a Harden problem. The Knicks made that clear. How will they solve it?

The Cavs will need more from their All-Star guard. Harden had just 15 points in 42 minutes and missed 11 of his 16 shots. He did not create enough for others (just three assists) and again had more turnovers than made shots. His defensive shortcomings were laid bare at the worst times.

After three quarters, it seemed that the Cavaliers could survive with a quiet night from Harden. They led by a big margin and hid him on defense. The double-digit lead was a reflection of a strategy well executed. But ultimately that had too-short a shelf life.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks sought Harden out when they had the ball, eventually wearing the Cavaliers’ defense down. Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and dished out six assists. Harden could not answer that onslaught with his own. There was no offensive rebuttal, no flurry he could catalyze to at least buoy the Cavaliers’ offense as it went silent in the midst of a collapse and the Knicks closed the game on a 44-11 run.

“(Brunson) made some tough ones, but obviously we all know he’s a great one-on-one player and I think anybody on an island, it’s going to be difficult,” Harden said. “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, you got to be better in that aspect. I think he made a couple of them, which really got them going.”

Harden’s teammates insisted he wasn’t the only problem. He wasn’t.

“There’s different coverages and different ways,” Donovan Mitchell said. “Maybe we could have got to it a little bit earlier. Maybe get it out of Brunson’s hands. … This isn’t on him. This is on all of us. Just because of a certain stretch. Like, no. We still had opportunities on the other end as well to take advantage and score, and we didn’t. It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough — 17 years — he understands.”

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said that he thought Harden “was good most of the game.” Maybe that was true, but the Knicks’ game plan indicated they didn’t think it would last. Atkinson said he never considered lifting Harden out of the game for the Cavaliers’ defensive possessions despite those troubles.

“No,” he said. “He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. I didn’t think about that.”

After a Wednesday film review and walkthrough, Atkinson tried to shift the blame for the Cavs’ collapse off of Harden.

“Everybody is putting it on James, but a lot of it is on our team, our team defense. We were great for three quarters, so we can do it. I’m sure some of it was him, there were a couple of blow-bys, but I’d argue it’s on the team defense, too,” he said.

Brunson did attack Harden directly initially and got by him with ease. He invited screens to bring him into the action on eight straight possessions once the Knicks went down 22 and they scored eight straight times (though one was off a loose ball after Harden blocked Brunson’s shot). When the Cavaliers brought Sam Merrill into the game and threw him on Brunson, the Cavaliers kept two on the ball as the Knicks star kept seeking Harden out. That turned out nearly as bad for Cleveland as the Knicks put its defense into a blender and created open 3s.

Atkinson will have to consider a broader suite of choices for Game 2. The Knicks are likely to keep attacking Harden. They found their easy button and kept pushing it.

But they’ll need more from Harden on offense, too. He has long had a reputation as a playoff under-performer. His effective field goal percentage has dropped off dramatically in the postseason compared to his regular season work in Cleveland. His counting stats remain nearly even, but his efficiency has dipped. He has six games where he has more turnovers than made shots this postseason.

When Mitchell slowed down in the fourth quarter and overtime on a night where he was the Cavaliers’ offensive engine with 29 points, Harden couldn’t pick up the slack. The Knicks, however, never relented.

Harden has come through in needed moments this spring. He had 24 points and 11 assists in Game 4 in the last round against the Detroit Pistons and came back with 30 points on the road in Game 5. The Cavaliers will need that again and more frequently.

Especially if the Knicks continue to try to make Harden the first line of defense. It worked Tuesday in the Eastern Conference finals opener. After 40 minutes, the Knicks finally landed on the countermove they needed. Now, the Cavaliers will have to figure out one of their own.

Sports

Stephen McKenna: Irish entertainer tasked with launching brother Aaron’s world title bid | Boxing News

Published

14 minutes ago

August 8, 2026

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It’s a big week for the McKenna family and, for one member, it’s impossible to contain the excitement.

Aaron McKenna’s bid to capture the vacant IBF middleweight world title against Etinosa Oliha headlines Zuffa Boxing 10 in Dublin this Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

The biggest fight of the unbeaten 27-year-old’s career happens to be his first on Irish soil as a professional, setting up a homecoming of career-defining proportions.

It’s set to be a family affair at the 3Arena, with Stephen McKenna fighting Owen O’Neill on the undercard before stepping into his younger brother’s corner.

“This is our big homecoming and big night of Irish boxing. It’s going to be massive,” said Stevie, who will also fight in Ireland for the first time as a professional.

“I want to be on the card because it’s such a historic event, Aaron McKenna fighting for a world middleweight title. I want to be a part of it all.

“I want to go in and get a knockout and then I want to be in the corner for my brother… That’s my plan.”

The McKennas are a band of brothers obsessed with matters in the ring and, in true sibling fashion, competitive in every pursuit out of it.

“We’ve been boxing 22 years. It’s a long time,” Stephen said.

“We love the game. Every day of our lives, it’s always been boxing. We’ve made a lot of sacrifices over the years. We’ve lived the life of a pure fighter.

“We train with each other… We’ve always been able to work with each other, sparring…

“We’re very competitive with each other. No matter what it is, football, darts, anything, we’re always trying to get one better of each other.”

The world’s most-entertaining fighter?

Stevie concedes Saturday night is ultimately about his brother’s world title pursuit, but the excitable character is never too far from the limelight.

He has proclaimed himself one of the most exciting fighters in the world and has vowed to live up to that reputation in his middleweight bout against O’Neill on Saturday night.

“This night is all about Aaron McKenna…” he said.

“Sometimes I’m too exciting. My dad sometimes wants me to control myself, but sometimes I just can’t help myself.

“I like entertaining people. I like giving value for money… I’m probably the most exciting of all the fighters in the world to watch.

“There’s always something… fight-of-the-year contenders, round of the year. My last fight was only a minute. There was a lot happened in that minute.

“It will just be another typical Stevie McKenna performance.”

‘Different level of fighting in Ireland’

McKenna (16-1, 15 KOs) is seeking his second victory under the Zuffa Boxing banner after blasting Casey Streeter away in one round on debut on the Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki undercard in June.

The 29-year-old forecasts more Irish success in Dublin this Saturday, for him, his brother, and middleweight Callum Walsh, who he has set his sights on fighting next.

“I’m after the big fights…” he added. “I would like a Callum Walsh sort of fight, a bigger fight. I want the biggest fights that’s going to take me to the highest possible level.

“The Irish fans would go crazy for that one, especially after the momentum of August 8.

“Aaron’s going to become world champion, Callum Walsh is fighting on the bill, he gets the win, I get the win, it’s going to be very exciting for all of Irish boxing.

“It’s a real turn. It’s going to be the start of a different level of fighting in Ireland.”

Watch Zuffa Boxing 10 this Saturday live on Sky Sports Action from 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm. Get Sky Sports or stream boxing with no contract

Sports

Brit Smith keeps pressure on leader Hossler after Wyndham Championship R2

Published

22 minutes ago

August 8, 2026

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Highlights from day two of the Wyndham Championship held at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Sports

The awe of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney’s Tour de France Femmes’ climb for the ages: ‘Calm is fast’

Published

28 minutes ago

August 8, 2026

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A dark road carves its way through the pale face of Ventoux.

Hundreds of eyes are scattered far and wide across the expanse above Provence, all focused on one point. And then she appears.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney rounds the corner as a dark speck dancing through the white limestone around her. Cheers ripple up the mountainside as she climbs and for a long moment, she is the only rider in sight. It is her race.

Two more round the bend, and another group not far behind, but it is too late — the Polish rider has gone again.

She crosses the line at the summit 76 seconds before anyone else and throws both arms into the air before swaying and collapsing back down.

The rider had wrenched the coveted yellow leader’s jersey from Marlen Reusser on stage 7 with one of the best climbing performances the Tour de France Femmes has ever seen.

The Polish rider went solo nearly 9.7 kilometers from the finish on one of France’s toughest climbs, and grew a gap of 1:45 at its maximum from just one attack.

She was untouchable — how did she do it?

Niewiadoma-Phinney has been smiling all week.

Two days before the Mont Ventoux ascent on Friday, she attacked early. It was a gruelling hilly stage, in which FDJ United Suez’ Demi Vollering had mounted several aggressive moves before isolating the Canyon-SRAM rider and Reusser (Movistar).

Niewiadoma-Phinney sensed tension between the two riders above her in the general classification and launched a sprint from far out before being reeled back in by Vollering, who overtook her for the win. She fell back to third, having also been overtaken by Reusser in the final moments.

“Almost!” she exclaimed as she reached her team bus.

At this point, the 31-year-old had not won a race since the Poland national championships the year before and had not won a World Tour race since 2024. Despite having come so close on Wednesday to crossing the line first, she was laughing and relaxed.

“I definitely dream of winning the jersey again, that’s the main goal, and whatever comes, as long as we do our best then it’s all good,” she told reporters after the stage. “We came here to fight and we have shown so far that we are fighting.”

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney gestures with her hand as she lies on the ground following her stage seven victory at the Tour de France Femmes

An exhausted Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney celebrates her stage seven triumph (Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)

Faced with the same pair in an isolated group on Mont Ventoux, Niewiadoma-Phinney attacked from range again. This time no one replied.

“The idea was to just follow, follow, and mainly focus on Demi (Vollering),” Movistar sports director Kelvin Dekker told reporters after the stage.

Neither Reusser or Vollering — alone or together — made a big enough effort to close the gap to the fiercely accelerating Niewiadoma-Phinney. After the stage, the jury was out among teams over whose fault that was.

“You can’t let her ride too far alone,” FDJ United Suez director Lars Boom said. “And that’s not only on us, but that’s also on Marlen (Reusser) to control that.

“She looked very quickly to Demi and that is sometimes not so smart.”

The mind games between Reusser and Vollering were “really stupid”, the Movistar rider said after the race. In the end, Dekker confirmed what was painfully obvious — “she was underestimated”.

Yet Niewiadoma-Phinney is not a rookie, rather one of the most accomplished riders in the peloton. The Polish rider has 22 wins under her belt and has finished on the podium of every single Tour de France Femmes.

Indeed, her last World Tour victory before Friday was taking home the Tour title itself in 2024. She was yet to win a stage at this year’s edition before Mont Ventoux, but she marked her first emphatically.

By the final kilometer, she was 1:45 ahead of the race leader, Reusser, and race favourite Vollering.

“When I started the climb, I looked to my right and saw my parents standing by the side of the road, because they had come today unexpectedly to cheer me on,” Niewiadoma-Phinney told reporters after the stage. “I saw my dad shouting his encouragement and I thought I had to make him proud today.”

She revealed that she had been working on her mental side. ‘Calm is fast’, were the words from her coach she had been repeating over and over again as she scaled Ventoux.

Whatever serenity she managed to find within was in spite of an eclectic mixture of adoring fans clutching to the revered Ventoux roads, cheering and clapping despite the ‘critical’ wildfire warning launched by the Vaucluse prefecture.

By the end of the stage, Niewiadoma-Phinney folded, collapsed limp over her bike and reached for the ground to hold her. She lay as water was poured over her and again, she smiled.

😁 The smile says it all! Well done Kasia!

Ce sourire en dit long ! Bravo Kasia ! 💛#TDFF2026 #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/ofoXrUFLXG

— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) August 7, 2026

It was a monumental effort, one of the most impressive climbing performances in the Tour’s history.

You could raise contenders including Vollering’s 2023 ascent of the Tourmalet and her win on Alpe d’Huez in 2024, in which both have mellower average gradients than Ventoux. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot also put in a spectacular performance on the Col de la Madeleine (18.8km at 8 per cent) last year to win by 1:45, but had riders in front of her in the final 8km to aim for.

Niewiadoma’s power numbers have been estimated, using Strava, to be 5.3 Watts per kilogram, bigger than Frenchwoman Ferrand-Prevot’s from last year.

Her solo effort came against the stiffest of competition too, holding off the blistering form of Giro d’Italia winner Vollering and Reusser’s similar strength this week. Being 1:17 off the Swiss rider at the start of the day, only going big would do.

To prepare for the stage, before the Tour, she had done a reconnaissance ride with her husband and friends, exploring the mountain and lightheartedly pretending to lead each other out to the finish.

“I never chase the victory for the sake of winning,” she said after the race. “I chase it for this beautiful feeling. From that moment (doing the recon), I just wanted to have those feelings coming here as well, the pure joy of riding, feeling like a kid, feeling like we can go everywhere we wanted; just love every pedal stroke.”

As she approached the summit, she retrod the path of a group of younger athletes who had cycled up to the top themselves in the wake of the circus of floats and sponsors’ cars only hours earlier. In that moment, she was following them as they will have no doubt been inspired by her too.