The Cleveland Cavaliers fell down 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals following a 121-108 loss to the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena on Saturday. No team in NBA history has ever come back and won a series from this position, but James Harden expressed confidence about the Cavaliers pulling it off in his postgame media session.
“We’re still confident,” Harden said, via the Cavaliers. “Our confidence is never going away. We’re more than capable… Make some shots, and the series turns around.”
The Cavaliers went 42-84 (50.0%) from the field here, but were just 12-41 (29.3%) from beyond the arc. They had shot 29.4% from three over the first two games and remained consistent here. It’s just not the kind of consistency you want.
Harden was among the biggest culprits, as he went 1-7 from three. The 36-year-old did have success inside the arc, as he finished with 19 points (8-15 FG), five rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Harden didn’t attempt a single field goal in the fourth quarter, though, and had six turnovers. He certainly wasn’t at his best, and the same could be said about a lot of his teammates.
This was basically a must-win game for the Cavaliers, and they sure didn’t play like it. The Knicks racked up 37 points in the first quarter and never trailed on the night. They would lead by as many as 17 points and won fairly comfortably in the end.
“They played a little bit faster,” Harden said. “We never could really get a grip on the game. We had times where we played well both ends of the ball, but just more times than not, they just played a little bit faster, and they made some shots.”
The Knicks went 43-77 (55.8%) from the field and 11-28 (39.3%) from beyond the arc here. They were just picking apart that Cavaliers defense, and Harden explained why they struggled on that end.
“When you’re not making shots, you put more pressure on your defense,” Harden said. “So you’re going to be on defense much more. Then you got to take the basketball out of the rim… Basketball is obviously both sides of the ball. But if we can make some shots, it gives our defense a chance to get back in and set up half-court.
“So, it’s a balance of both of those things, but they’re a great offensive team,” Harden continued. “They got a stretch big and they obviously [got Jalen] Brunson handling the ball, so they’re a difficult matchup, but it just makes it more difficult when you’re not making shots. Then you got to keep relying on your defense, which they are good team, so they’re going to score.”
Harden also made it clear that the Cavaliers’ misses are down to them, not anything the Knicks are doing. Well, they’d better start making shots soon, then.
Game 4 will tip off at Rocket Arena on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. The Cavaliers have won both of their do-or-die games this postseason, as they eliminated the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons in seven games. While you’d give them a shot at winning Game 4, it’s hard to see this series going beyond five games.
The Cavaliers will be left wondering for months what might have been had they not blown a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1.
