James Harden still believes the Cleveland Cavaliers were the superior team despite getting swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the New York Knicks.
Following Cleveland’s season-ending Game 4 loss, Harden was asked whether the Knicks simply proved they were the better squad during the series. The veteran guard hesitated before admitting he still doesn’t fully agree with that conclusion.
“I can’t even answer that question honestly,” Harden said during his postgame press conference. “Yeah, it was 4-0, but I don’t think we gave our best shot because of the circumstances.”
Despite acknowledging New York’s dominance throughout the series, Harden still maintained confidence in Cleveland’s roster overall.
“Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team,” he added. “But series-wise, we didn’t show it.”
The comments immediately sparked reactions online, considering how decisively the Knicks controlled the matchup. New York completed the sweep with a 130-93 blowout victory in Game 4, officially advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Harden’s own performance during the series also came under scrutiny.
Across the four games, the former MVP averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3 assists while struggling heavily with efficiency. Harden shot just 35.7 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from three-point range against New York’s defense.
The rough showing became especially noticeable during Game 1, when the Knicks erased a 22-point deficit while repeatedly targeting Harden defensively late in the game. Jalen Brunson and New York’s offense consistently attacked switches involving Harden throughout the comeback. Still, Harden defended the role he believed he played after joining Cleveland.
“I think I did pretty good,” he said later in the press conference. “I don’t even grade myself off shot-making.”
Harden explained that his focus was fitting into an already established Cavaliers system while helping facilitate offense and contribute defensively.
“Coming here was just a piece to fulfill whatever needed to be fulfilled,” Harden said. “Defensively being extremely solid, offensively getting guys shots and fitting into a system that was already in place.”
Despite the disappointing finish, the series still included notable career milestones for Harden. During Game 4, he surpassed Magic Johnson on the NBA’s all-time playoff games played list while also climbing to sixth in postseason free throws made.
But those accomplishments were overshadowed by Cleveland’s collapse against a Knicks team that overwhelmed the Cavaliers on both ends of the floor throughout the Eastern Conference Finals.
