The Cleveland Cavaliers are out of the playoffs after losing to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Making matters worse, the Cavs didn’t pose a threat at all, with New York sweeping them in the series.
Cleveland lost by an average of 19.25 points in the series, with their closest one being the 11-point defeat in Game 1 when New York erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. In Game 4 on Monday, the Knicks blew out the Cavs by 37 points, 130-93.
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James Harden, in particular, struggled mightily against the Knicks. Offensively, he never scored more than 20 points. He even tallied just 12 points in Game 4, shooting 2-of-8 from the field and failing to make any of his six 3-point attempts.
On the other end, the Knicks kept taking advantage of him, with Jalen Brunson relentlessly attacking him and exposing the Cavs’ defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) stands on the court during a game.David Richard-Imagn Images
Despite Harden’s poor performance, however, he still made history during the playoff series. Monday’s contest was his 191st postseason outing, allowing him to surpass Magic Johnson (190) in playoff games played.
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Harden also entered the game with 1,210 playoff free throws. By making eight shots from the charity stripe during the showdown, he surpassed both Jerry West (1,213) and Tim Duncan (1,217) to climb to No. 6 in the all-time free-throws made list.
The NBA announced his accomplishments on social media and made sure to congratulate him during the game.
Despite his achievements, though, there was plenty of criticism of Harden. Many viewers pointed out that he’s a big reason why the Cavs lost to the Knicks.
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For what it’s worth, Donovan Mitchell came to Harden’s defense after the Cavaliers’ playoff exit, reminding everyone of his greatness and how he changed the game of basketball.
Related: Knicks’ Historic Win Against Cavaliers Came With Major Officiating Mistakes
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.