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James Harden believes Cavs were better despite the 4-0 scoreline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 on Monday night, completing a sweep and securing a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. James Harden left Rocket Arena with 12 points on 2-of-8 shooting, going 0-of-6 from three-point range, and committing five turnovers in 33 minutes. He then told reporters that the Cavs were the better team.
"It was 4-0, but I don't think we had a chance as far as our best shot," Harden said, according to Underdog NBA. "Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team. Series-wise, we didn't show it."
The Cavaliers lost the four games by 11, 16, 13, and 37 points. They fell behind from the start in Game 4 after trailing 66-47 at halftime. New York scored the most points in NBA playoff history without a single player reaching 20 points in a game, as reported by NBA.com.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 15 points and five assists, earning the ECF MVP award and the Larry Bird Trophy.
What the series actually showed, despite Harden's postgame belief, is that his defense was the main issue. The Knicks targeted him in switches throughout all four games, and Brunson in particular exploited that matchup, scoring 38, 26, 30, and 15 points.
Kendrick Perkins mentioned after Game 1 that Harden was a 'defensive liability' that Kenny Atkinson should consider benching Harden in critical moments. That will obviously be an ongoing discussions.
Skip Bayless stated clearly after the game ended.
"James Harden in tonight's home closeout game: 0-6 from three with five turnovers. Predictable." Bayless wrote.
Harden now holds the record for the most playoff wins in NBA history without a championship, tied with Karl Malone at 98.
He may believe that the Cavs were the better team. However, the scoreboard in all four games disagreed.
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