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Knowing when to accept defeat is one of the toughest things a professional athlete will have to deal with in their career and after a sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden refused to believe that his opponents were the better team.
The Knicks finished off the Cavaliers in Game 4 with a 130-93 win. Harden had 12 points, missed each of the six 3-pointers he attempted, turned the ball over five times and was minus-19 on the floor. Harden was asked how much better the Knicks were than the Cavs.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden reacts to a call during the first half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks in Cleveland on May 25, 2026. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
“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.”
Cleveland showed absolutely zero proof of that statement.
The team only managed to eclipse 100 points twice in the series, reaching at least 100 points in the first game in overtime after the Knicks came back from down more than 20 points to tie the game and win in the extra period.
The series wasn’t really close after that.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden disputes a call during the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks in Cleveland on May 24, 2027. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Harden may be one of the most prolific scorers of all time, but his attempts at winning a championship have been futile. ESPN Insights noted that Harden has played 191 playoff games without winning a championship, only two behind Karl Malone all time.
Harden has a $42.3 million player option going into the offseason, but isn’t expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers.
Team owner Dan Gilbert shared an assessment of the season on social media.
“We took a step ahead this spring, but we are nowhere near where we need to be,” he wrote on X. “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.”
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the second half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland on May 24, 2027. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
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The Cavaliers now face an uncertain offseason with the potential to add pieces to another run at a championship or blow up the team and start from scratch.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.