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James Harden Says Cavaliers 'Better' than Knicks Despite ECF Sweep, Elimination
Harden said Cleveland was the better team despite a 4-0 sweep, citing poor shooting and limited production from role players.
James Harden, the 11-time All-Star and 2017 NBA MVP, said his Cleveland Cavaliers are 'a better team' than the New York Knicks despite losing the Eastern Conference finals 4-0, telling reporters 'genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team. But series-wise, we didn't show it.'
The Knicks outshot the Cavaliers 50% to 42.6%, creating a 475-398 scoring advantage in the sweep, with New York dominating Game 4 by 45 points and winning by an average margin of 23.7 points throughout the series.
Harden's shooting efficiency plummeted from 46.6% in the regular season to 38.9% in the series, while role players Sam Merrill and Max Strus were held to roughly half their regular-season scoring averages; Jalen Brunson earned Eastern Conference finals MVP averaging 23.5 points and 7.8 assists.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson credited the Knicks, saying 'You've just got to give them credit. Just got to give them a ton of credit,' while Harden signaled intent to remain in Cleveland; Mitchell is under contract for $50.1 million next season.
The Knicks' 11-game winning streak positions them for a June 3 NBA Finals matchup against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs, who remain tied 2-2 in the Western Conference finals heading into Game 5 on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. EDT.