SouthernWorldwide.com – Accepting defeat is a difficult aspect of a professional athlete’s career, and following their sweep by the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden expressed disbelief that his opponents were the superior team.
The Knicks secured their victory over the Cavaliers in Game 4 with a commanding 130-93 win. Harden’s performance included 12 points, six missed three-point attempts, five turnovers, and a -19 plus/minus rating. When questioned about the Knicks’ superiority, Harden stated, “I can’t even answer that question, honestly. Yeah, it’s 4-0, but I don’t think we had a chance as far as our best shot from the standpoint of the circumstances. Obviously, they dominated us 4-0, but I don’t know if I could, necessarily, answer that question, just because, genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team. But series wise, we didn’t show it.”
The Cavaliers provided no evidence to support Harden’s claim. The team failed to reach 100 points in all but two games of the series. Their first instance of scoring 100 points occurred in overtime of Game 1, after the Knicks had erased a 20-point deficit to force the extra period and subsequently win.
The remainder of the series was not competitive.
Despite being one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, Harden’s championship aspirations have thus far been unsuccessful. ESPN Insights reported that Harden has played 191 playoff games without a championship, placing him just two games behind Karl Malone on the all-time list.
Harden holds a $42.3 million player option for the upcoming offseason but is not anticipated to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
Team owner Dan Gilbert shared his assessment of the season on social media. He wrote, “We took a step ahead this spring, but we are nowhere near where we need to be. I can’t thank the fans enough for the support this year. We will dig in all summer and do everything we possibly can to take the next step. We will grind until we get there.”
The Cavaliers now face an offseason filled with uncertainty, with the potential to either augment the current roster for another championship run or to dismantle the team and rebuild from the ground up.
