If you are an NBA fan then you will know that the phrase ‘game seven’ is a pretty good one. This is a phrase that can be pretty cliched but on the whole this is a statement that is true.
Game 7s are the best situations to be in, and this is usually after six games between two teams have been played. The game 7 is needed to be able to decide on the winner. Ultimately, game 7s are where players will really draw their NBA lines and put on the best display of their talent.
On every game 7, you will hear the phrase ‘win or go home’ and this is due to the fact that for one team they have the chance to move on and win the title – and the loser has a bit more of a grim situation to deal with. So, here are our top 5 best game 7s in NBA history.
1. 2016 NBA Finals – Cavaliers vs Warriors
This game has to come at the top of our list because let’s face it, this has to be the highest-stakes game in the whole of the NBA’s history. In fact, the 73-9 Warriors had actually come back down 3-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in order to make it to the second finals.
Courtesy of the leadership of LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the finals and on this occasion, they had a pretty powerful team ready for the finals. Games 5-7 in this season were pretty dramatic, but the Cavaliers rose to victory. This has been regarded as one of the best game 7s in the whole of history – but its fallout is pretty great and it is unlikely that this will repeat for a long time.
2. 2002 WCF – Lakers vs Kings
This seven game series during the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings proves to be highly entertaining and exciting. This is because no Lakers team had ever three-peated before and so this team was given the opportunity to be able to create a whole new story to add to the history records of the franchise.
It is important to mention that the team did not actually dominate the usual season, at least not in the same way that they did in the past. That’s right, for the very first time the team was actually unable to grasp that homecourt advantage over the duration of the playoffs.
So, the team had actually advanced past the first two rounds despite this minor setback and were ready to face the Sacramento Kings. This was a team who was unable to beat them in the 2000 and the 2001 playoffs. It is true that the Kings were actually seen as being the lesser team than the Lakers – but the Kings were keen to alter this chain of events. And they certainly did just that!
3. 2016 WCF – Thunder vs Warriors
The true impact that this game made on the sport is not something that can be ignored. The long term impact that this game actually had on the NBA world is huge, and it is that truly heartbreaking loss by the Thunder in this series which meant that Kevin Durant left the team. This marked the official ending of an era at Oklahoma City.
But, before all of this happened there was this series. The 2016 Warriors ended up completing the season with a score of 73-9, and they actually ended up breaking a whole lot of records.
4. 1969 NBA Finals – Celtics vs Lakers
If you are a truly dedicated NBA fan then you will not be surprised to know that the 2010 finals were not the first occasion where these two teams went to seven games in the finals.
The two teams went head-to-head in as many as seven finals from 1959 right up until 1969. In addition to this, three of these series actually went right up to a game seven – and all of these were actually won by the Celtics.
5. The 1981 Eastern Conference Finals – 76ers vs Celtics
Last but not least we have the 76ers vs Celtics game, and this is referred to by some people as one of the best playoff series in the whole history of the NBAs. In fact this game is known for being as intense as the rest of the series.
In fact, apart from the games 2 and 3 in this series, every other game was actually determined by a mere one or two points. And, it is also important to mention that the 76ers did hold a 3-1 lead in the series right before the Celtics championed the following two games.
Conclusion
Overall, game 7s will give sports fans a great viewership experience – you get to see a true example of performance and ability and also a pretty great display of entertainment. It is true that the NBA has had a whole lot of game 7s over the years – and a lot of them have gone down as moments of historical recognition. They are pivotal moments that have their own way of impacting the league.
Story by Addison Webb
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