‘The Beard’ is heading back to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 after the Detroit Pistons suffered a lopsided 125-94 loss. The Cavaliers prevailed despite Harden finishing with just nine points, five rebounds, six assists, and a 0-for-6 shooting performance from three-point range.

The do-or-die matchup at Little Caesars Arena also reignited concerns among fans about the 11-time All-Star’s history in Game 7s. Across eight appearances, Harden has averaged just 19.1 points while shooting a rough 35.3 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc, along with 3.8 turnovers per game. Tonight’s scoring output fell well below even those averages, serving as another harsh reality check. But James Harden has nothing to worry about, as his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers seemingly appears clear.

“No matter how this playoff run unfolds, Harden, who has been inconsistent in the postseason again, will likely be coming back to Cleveland this summer on a multiyear deal,” Brian Windhorst of ESPN stated before Game 7.

The Cavaliers traded franchise point guard Darius Garland in February for Harden with multiple seasons in mind. He has a $42 million team option, which the franchise is ready to select.

And let’s not forget, from a financial-planning standpoint, this is a massive decision given that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a second-apron team, currently the only one in the NBA, with a league-high payroll of $226 million. Including the luxury tax, that figure climbs north of $280 million. The franchise is prioritizing James Harden’s contract because the backcourt partnership delivered strong results during the regular season.

Even if they want to trade him, the $42 million contract can be judiciously used to lure in other star players. But he received the good news of potentially being with the Cavs for longer. However, that also meant that the Game 7 performance left social media filled with bad news for the 36-year-old guard.

Fans expressed their concern over James Harden’s display

As mentioned before, poor shooting in clutch moments has followed ‘The Beard’ throughout his career. Here are some of his Game 7 performances for you to judge.

• In 2011, for the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Grizzlies, James Harden had just 17 points.
• In 2020, representing the Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City, the 11-time All-Star scored 17 points on 27% shooting from the field and a poor 11% from three-point range.
• Another Game 7 came during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023, when he scored just 9 points on 27% shooting.

It’s a theme that fans have noticed: “Pretty standard stats for James Harden in the clutch.”

Let’s look at his last five Game 7 shooting performances in isolation: 3-for-9 vs. Toronto, 2-for-8 vs. Denver, 3-for-11 vs. Boston, 5-for-17 vs. Milwaukee, and 4-for-15 vs. OKC. It’s a pattern, as another netizen pointed out:

“Of course… Games 7 Harden is always a–.”

Another similar sentiment from a fan echoed, “2/10 and 0/6 from three in a playoff game. Classic Harden playoff meme writes itself.”

“James Harden made the Conference Finals again, but this stat line is going to have people talking all summer,” they wrote.

It was after Game 2 when he finished with just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting and 4 turnovers. One of those late mistakes helped Detroit seal the win.

To this, a fan added, “9 points on 10 shots… he’s passing the ball to the other team at this point.”

On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with the win despite Harden’s single-digit scoring output. They still had four players scoring over 20 points, including Donovan Mitchell (26), Jarrett Allen (23), Sam Merrill (23), and Evan Mobley (21 points, 12 rebounds).

Ultimately, whether Harden’s Game 7 performance is viewed as a step forward or another source of doubt, it adds another layer to an already polarizing postseason narrative.