The New York Knicks outscored the Cavaliers by a combined 77 points this series, the second-largest point differential in a 4-game sweep in the Conference Finals. After Game 3 loss, the Cavs’ head coach was under scrutiny for his comments, stating that his team was “analytically” better. However, Donovan Mitchell and co showed no signs of being better even tonight as they allowed the Knicks to go on a 20-0 run in the first half of Game 4. That’s why criticism for the head coach remains.

“What about the nonsense of @cavs Coach Atkinson talking about that they have the edge on @knicks analytically -it was SWEEP CITY as Cavs showed ZERO PRIDE at home tonight getting embarrassed by Knicks in giving up 130 points,” Dick Vitale, Hall of Fame announcer and former basketball head coach, was frustrated. It’s not only because Kenny Atkinson made those comments, but his team never showed up in Game 4, when the series was on the line. They literally quit on him.

“I think analytically, I think we’ve won the — I said three out of three [games in the series], we’re two out of three in the expected wins,” Atkinson told reporters Sunday. “I don’t know if you guys follow that — the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.” After game 3, the Knicks had outscored the Cavs by 40 points. In Game 4 again, Cleveland had no answers. They lost the game 130-93, at one point trailing by as many as 45 points. That 20-point run helped the Knicks establish a 68-49 halftime lead.

The Cavs have allowed 20+ points off turnovers in 10 games this postseason. Now that’s something the head coach should have solved a long ago. Tonight, they conceded 22 turnovers, and the Knicks capitalized with 34 points. Cleveland could manage just 9 fast break points and shot a miserable 11-40 from the three-point range. Donovan Mitchell remained the only spark whose game-high 31 points were not enough to help his teammates. In fact, there was a moment where the broadcasters caught the Cavaliers not responding to their leader.

In the first half, Spida was frustrated and stood in front of his teammates, and was furiously gesturing, looking around at everybody. But in the huddle, there seemed to be no positive reaction from the rest of the Cavaloers. In fact, Kenny Atkinson was not even part of it. This again led everyone to believe that the Cavs have ‘quit’.

Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley question the Cavs and Atkinson

The Knicks have won each game by double figures, including an 11-point overtime victory in Game 1 after rallying from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit. Even in that game, the head coach was under scrutiny for not calling a timeout, which led to the fourth-quarter choke. He failed to make adjustments to control the Knicks’ attack. Then the claims of the Cavaliers are “analytically” leading the East Finals just didn’t sit right with many.

Stephen A. Smith on First Take began, “That moment right there is why Kenny Atkinson deserves to be an assistant coach. But for any coach to have that come out of their mouth, it’s egregious.” Even Barkley on Inside the NBA added, “You’re damn skippy we don’t want to hear it. Not the general public, Ernie, Shaq and Chuck and Kenny don’t want to hear it, either.”

Former Suns star turned analyst Eddie A Johnson stated, “If I was the GM, I would think about that decision (of firing Atkinson),” the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year said Monday on SiriusXM NBA radio. “It’s not working for me….I hope they don’t (fire him).” Last year, despite being the #1 seed, they crashed out in the conference semifinals. Tonight will feel like another sting as the team failed to win one game in the series when they were “analytically” better.