For the 20th time in the history of the sport, the NBA Finals will require a Game 7. The Indiana Pacers won Game 6 on their home floor on Thursday night to force the win-or-go-home affair against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which will take place on Sunday night at 8 p.m.
When was the last NBA Finals matchup to go seven games? How close were the last handful of Game 7s? Here’s how each of the last five Game 7s in NBA Finals history played out, in chronological order.
The Rockets won Games 6 and 7 to win the 1994 NBA Finals. (Photo by Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X46393)
After coming back home facing a 3-2 series deficit, Houston won back-to-back games to win the series. In Game 7, the Rockets won every quarter by a narrow margin, with Hakeem Olajuwon leading the way with a game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks, accompanied by 21 points from Vernon Maxwell and 13 points and two steals in 18 minutes from Sam Cassell.
It was a tight affair from start to finish, with Derek Harper’s team-high 23 points keeping the Knicks in the mix despite Patrick Ewing’s (7 of 17 from the field) and John Starks’ (2 of 18 from the field) inefficient games. But Houston kept New York at bay in the fourth quarter and ultimately held on to win its first championship in franchise history, then went on to repeat as NBA champions the next season.
The 2005 NBA Finals were the third championship for the Spurs under head coach Gregg Popovich. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
San Antonio had a 2-0 series lead and then a 3-2 lead, but Detroit evened up the series both times. On a June 23 night in San Antonio, though, the Spurs would not be denied.
The game was tied at 57 apiece entering the fourth quarter, and then San Antonio’s offense came to life. Manu Ginobili proceeded to score 11 of his 23 points in the final quarter, with Ginobili and Tim Duncan combining for 48 of San Antonio’s 81 total points, while Robert Horry chipped in 15 points. As a whole, the Spurs held the Pistons to 41.9% shooting from the field and 14.3% shooting from behind the arc. It marked the Spurs’ third NBA championship under head coach Gregg Popovich and their second title in three seasons.
The Lakers’ 2010 NBA Finals triumph was their third championship round win over the Celtics. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Celtics brought a 3-2 series lead to Los Angeles, but the Lakers prevailed on their home court. After an 89-67 Game 6 victory, the Lakers won Game 7 in grueling fashion.
It was an inauspicious start for the Lakers, with them scoring just 14 first-quarter points, and Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol shooting a combined 3 of 15 from the field. Los Angeles trailed after each of the first three quarters, but it then broke out for a 30-point fourth quarter, which saw Bryant — who shot just 6 of 24 from the field throughout the entire game — score 10 points, eight of those coming from the charity stripe.
[Related: 4 Teams Have Won an NBA Finals Game 7 on The Road. Will the Pacers be the 5th?]
Still finishing with a game-high 23 points, Bryant also pulled down 15 rebounds and had a pivotal assist to Metta World Peace — who finished with 20 points, five rebounds and five steals — who knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining in the game to give the Lakers a six-point lead and help them finish off the win. It was the 12th NBA Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics and was the last time they faced off in the championship round.
2013: Miami Heat 95, San Antonio Spurs 88
The Miami Heat’s 2013 NBA Finals championship was their last in franchise history. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Heat won their second consecutive title in 2013, but they did so in the face of multiple scares, starting with Ray Allen helping force overtime with a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 6.
Up 90-88 in the final minute of Game 7, Miami forced a Tim Duncan miss, and the Heat came up with the ball with 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing possession, LeBron James made a mid-range jump shot, and San Antonio never scored again.
James led the way for the Heat, who had the lead throughout the entire fourth quarter, with 37 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Shane Battier knocked down six 3-pointers for Miami.
Kyrie Irving averaged 25.2 points per game for the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA postseason. (Photo by MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
It was not only a historic game in Cleveland sports, but it was also one of the best games in NBA history.
A series that Golden State led 3-1 required a Game 7 in the Bay Area, and it delivered. With 1:51 remaining in a game knotted up at 89 apiece, LeBron James flew in and denied Andre Iguodala’s fastball layup attempt. While the Cavaliers didn’t score on the next possession, they got another defensive stop. Following a timeout, Kyrie Irving drained a step-back 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining, and it would be the final field goal of the game, which proved to be enough for Cleveland to get the epic win and finish off the 3-1 series comeback.
James and Irving combined for 53 points, while James posted a triple-double (27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists). For Golden State, Draymond Green had the individual game of his life, finishing with 32 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, but the Cavaliers held the NBA’s best backcourt — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — to a combined 31 points on 12 of 36 shooting from the field and the Warriors as a whole to 38.6% shooting from the field. Golden State didn’t score in the last 4:39 of play.
It was the first championship in Cavaliers history and the first for Cleveland sports since the Cleveland Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship.
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