Can someone ELI5 why the Knicks are not considered the better team throughout this playoff run?

Opposing team players, coaches, fans and talking heads are always making excuses for opposing teams after we beat them. Why can the excuse be “the Knicks are just that good” or “the Knicks are the better team”, but instead all I hear “we are the better team”.

• The ATL series went from “Atalanta is just the better team, CJ McCollum owns the Knicks” to “Atlanta is a play-in team with a young inexperienced core”

• Sixers: “VJ Edgecombe going to have JB in shambles, Sixers in 5” to “Well Embid wasn’t 100% and Sixers expelled all of their energy to beat Boston”

• Cavs: “Its just the Cavs, the real finals are happening in the West and the winner will sweep the Knicks”

• Spurs: “The Knicks are lucky they got a young and dumb Spurs team because they beat an injured OKC, Spurs are the better team”.

WTF?! Just give us our props and move on. KNICKS in F**KING 5!!!