Kendrick Perkins Blasts Cavaliers ‘Embarrassing' Effort After Game 4 Blowout Loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded away Darius Garland at the deadline to land James Harden in hopes of making an NBA Finals trip.

Instead, the Cavs were swept in four games by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 1 was the closest of the series, although Cleveland saw a 22-point lead evaporate with New York winning the game in overtime.

After that, the Knicks won by 16, 13 and then had a 130-93 win in Game 4 to end the Cavs' season.

Owner Dan Gilbert admitted changes needed to be made to get the team where they want to be, so it could be a long offseason in Cleveland.

On Tuesday, former NBA big man and analyst Kendrick Perkins put the Cavaliers on blast for what he called an "embarrassing" effort during the ECF.

"This was one of the most, if not the most, embarrassing moments in NBA history. It's not what happened, it's how it happened," Perkins said during an episode of "First Take."

"We didn't witness a sweep to this magnitude. They tapped out and they quit," Perkins added.

Cavs' Comments Were Strange

Perkins then called out the postgame comments from head coach Kenny Atkinson and what he said about the analytics, and then the comments made by Donovan Mitchell regarding the Game 1 loss and the remarks from James Harden.

"Analytically… We're two out of three in the expected (score)… We've won two out of the three," Atkinson said. "I know you're looking confused."

Harden even stated that he feels Cleveland is the "better team" after the Game 4 blowout loss.

"Obviously, they dominated us 4-0, but I don't know if I can necessarily answer that question because, genuinely, I do feel we are the better team. But series-wise didn't show it, so tough question to answer," Harden said.

Harden also spoke about having to play two seven-game series.

Perkins then said the Cavs had "no heart, no mental toughness" and were "punked and embarrassed."

Donovan Mitchell looked to be the only Cavs player who was ready for Game 4, but it was too late for anything to materialize as the Knicks came out firing with a massive lead in the first half.

Now, questions loom large in Cleveland this offseason after a disappointing ending, and only time will tell what happens in Ohio.

Related: Dan Gilbert Hints at Changes After Knicks Sweep Cavs

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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 8:07 AM.