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List of NBA game sevens
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In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a game seven is the final game of a best-of-seven series in the NBA playoffs. Based on the playoffs format arrangement, it is played in the venue of the team holding home-court advantage for the series. The necessity of a game seven is not known until the outcome of game six is determined, assuming that a series reaches that far. In other words, game seven is the only one in a series that is not guaranteed more than one game in advance. Due to the decisive nature of game sevens, they are often "played more conservatively" and receive more media and fan attention.
The NBA Finals has always employed a best-of-seven series format. The Conference (or Division) Finals have used this format since 1958; the Conference (or Division) Semifinals since 1968; and the First Round since 2003. During the 1947 and 1948 playoffs, in which teams from different divisions met each other in the opening rounds, the first-place teams from each division played a best-of-seven series against each other before one advanced to the league finals. The other teams in the playoffs competed against each other in three best-of-three series to determine the other spot in the finals.
Since the inception of the NBA, 155 game sevens have been played. Of those, only six went into overtime, and one into double overtime. 40 game sevens have been won by the road team. Every active NBA franchise has played in at least one game seven. There have been thirteen NBA playoff seasons in which no game seven was played: 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1999. The 1994, 2014, and 2016 postseasons hold the record for most game sevens played, with five. In 1979, 1981, 1988, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2020, and 2025 four game sevens were played. The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks both hold the record for most game sevens played in a single postseason, having played three game sevens in 1988 and 1994, respectively, the maximum possible at that time.
Key
All-time game sevens
All-time standings
| Team | Games played | Wins | Losses | Win–loss % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 37 | 27 | 10 | |
| Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers | 24 | 16 | 8 | |
| Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 6 | 12 | |
| New York Knicks | 16 | 7 | 9 | |
| Buffalo Bisons、Tri-Cities Blackhawks、Milwaukee/St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks | 14 | 5 | 9 | |
| Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder | 13 | 8 | 5 | |
| San Diego/Houston Rockets | 13 | 7 | 6 | |
| Philadelphia/San Francisco/ Golden State Warriors | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| Miami Heat | 12 | 7 | 5 | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 12 | 3 | 9 | |
| Dallas/Texas Chaparrals、San Antonio Spurs | 11 | 4 | 7 | |
| Indiana Pacers | 11 | 4 | 7 | |
| Chicago Packers/Zephyrs、Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets/Washington Wizards | 10 | 6 | 4 | |
| Fort Wayne Zollner/Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons | 10 | 5 | 5 | |
| Chicago Bulls | 10 | 4 | 6 | |
| Buffalo Braves/Los Angeles Clippers | 10 | 4 | 6 | |
| Phoenix Suns | 10 | 4 | 6 | |
| Denver Rockets/Nuggets | 10 | 5 | 5 | |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 8 | 6 | 2 | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 8 | 5 | 3 | |
| Rochester Seagrams/Eber Seagrams/Pros、Rochester/Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha/Kansas City/Sacramento Kings | 7 | 2 | 5 | |
| Utah Jazz | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| Toronto Raptors | 6 | 3 | 3 | |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| Orlando Magic | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| New Jersey Americans、New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| St. Louis Bombers (defunct) | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Note: Teams that have never played a game seven are excluded. Names of franchises before their relocation are also shown. |
Reoccurring game seven matchups
(*) – Number of overtime periods played in the seventh game.
| Count | Matchup | Record | Years Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers/Syracuse Nationals | Celtics, 6–2 | 1959, 1965, 1968, 1977, 1981, 1982, 2012, 2023 |
| 5 | Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Celtics, 4–1 | 1962*, 1966, 1969, 1984, 2010 |
| 4 | Atlanta/St. Louis Hawks vs. Boston Celtics | Celtics, 4–0 | 1957**, 1960, 1988, 2008 |
| 4 | St. Louis Hawks vs. Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers | Tie, 2–2 | 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Celtics, 4–0 | 1974, 1987, 2018, 2022 |
| 3 | New York Knicks vs. Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets | Knicks, 2–1 | 1970, 1971, 1974 |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers, 2–1 | 1981, 1986, 2001 |
| 3 | Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Cavaliers, 2–1 | 1992, 2008, 2018 |
| 3 | Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics | Rockets, 2–1 | 1993*, 1997, 2020 |
| 3 | Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks | Pacers, 2–1 | 1994, 1995, 2024 |
| 3 | Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat | Heat, 2–1 | 2012, 2022, 2023 |
| 2 | Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York Knicks | Tie, 1–1 | 1952, 1970 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns | Tie, 1–1 | 1970, 2006 |
| 2 | Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Lakers, 2–0 | 1971, 1973 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | Tie, 1–1 | 1973, 1984 |
| 2 | Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons | Tie, 1–1 | 1974, 1990 |
| 2 | Seattle SuperSonics vs. Phoenix Suns | Tie, 1–1 | 1979, 1993 |
| 2 | Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks | Tie, 1–1 | 1992, 1994 |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz | Tie, 1–1 | 1994, 2020 |
| 2 | Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns | Rockets, 2–0 | 1994, 1995 |
| 2 | Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks | Tie, 1–1 | 1997, 2000 |
| 2 | Philadelphia 76ers vs. Toronto Raptors | Tie, 1–1 | 2001, 2019 |
| 2 | Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs | Tie, 1–1 | 2006*, 2014 |
| 2 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Thunder, 2–0 | 2011, 2014 |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets | Warriors, 2–0 | 2018, 2025 |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers | Nuggets, 2–0 | 2020, 2025 |
Notes
- The home-and-away format in every round of the playoffs is the 2–2–1–1–1 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in games one, two, five and seven). The format of the finals from 1984 to 2013 used the 2–3–2 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in games one, two, six and seven). In the past, there have been several other formats used in the playoffs.
- Won as the designated road team at a neutral-site game.
References
Specific
General
References
- McCallum, Jack. (May 24, 2004). "It's That Time Again: Everything changes when you get to Game 7. The air is different. The noise is different. And there's so much weight".
- Newmann, Peter. (May 30, 2007). "Jazz–Spurs research notes". ESPN.
- Hickok, Ralph. (February 18, 2009). "NBA 1967–68 Season". HickokSports.com.
- (May 2, 2009). "An Unforgettable Series, and They've Only Just Begun". The New York Times.
- Anderson, Corrie and Rob Reheuser, ''et al'' (2006). ''Sporting News Official 2006–2007 NBA Guide''. Sporting News Books. {{ISBN. 0-89204-854-9.
- Rosen, Charley (2008). ''The First Tip-Off: The Incredible Story of the Birth of the NBA''. Mc-Graw Hill. pp. 211–212. {{ISBN. 0-07-148785-9.
- (May 21, 2006). "NBA serves up rare Game 7 feast". [[USA Today]].
- "1948 BAA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1951 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1952 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1954 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1955 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1957 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1959 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1960 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1961 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1963 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1964 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1965 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1966 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1968 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1969 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1970 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1971 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1973 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1974 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1975 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1976 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1977 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1978 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1979 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1980 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1981 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1982 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1984 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1986 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1987 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1988 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1990 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "1992 NBA Playoff Summary". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Seattle vs. Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Phoenix vs. Seattle". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Houston vs. Phoenix". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Utah vs. Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – New York vs. Chicago". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – New York vs. Indiana". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Houston vs. New York". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Houston at Phoenix". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at New York". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Orlando vs. Indiana". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Seattle vs. Utah". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Houston vs. Seattle". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Miami vs. New York". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Chicago vs. Indiana". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – New York at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – L.A. Lakers vs. Portland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Philadelphia vs. Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Milwaukee vs. Charlotte". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Philadelphia vs. Milwaukee". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – L.A. Lakers at Sacramento". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas vs. Portland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Detroit vs. Orlando". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas vs. Sacramento". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Miami vs. New Orleans". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Minnesota vs. Sacramento". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Detroit vs. New Jersey". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas vs. Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Detroit at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – San Antonio vs. Detroit". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Phoenix vs. L.A. Lakers". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Detroit vs. Cleveland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas at San Antonio". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Phoenix vs. L.A. Clippers". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Utah at Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston vs. Atlanta". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston vs. Cleveland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – San Antonio at New Orleans". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston vs Chicago". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Atlanta vs. Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Los Angeles vs. Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Orlando at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Milwaukee at Atlanta". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston at Los Angeles". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Memphis at Oklahoma City". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Denver at Los Angeles". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – L.A. Clippers at Memphis". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Philadelphia at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Chicago at Brooklyn". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – San Antonio at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Atlanta at Indiana". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Memphis at Oklahoma City". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Golden State at Los Angeles". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Brooklyn at Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas at San Antonio". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – San Antonio at Los Angeles". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Los Angeles at Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Charlotte at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Miami at Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Oklahoma City at Golden State". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Cleveland at Golden State". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Utah at Los Angeles". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Washington at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Milwaukee at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at Cleveland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Cleveland at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Houston at Golden State". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – San Antonio at Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Portland at Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Philadelphia at Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Utah at Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Oklahoma City at Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston at Toronto". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Denver at Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas at Los Angeles Clippers". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Milwaukee at Brooklyn". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Atlanta at Philadelphia". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Milwaukee at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Dallas at Phoenix". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Boston at Miami". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Golden State at Sacramento". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Philadelphia at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Miami at Boston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Orlando at Cleveland". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at New York". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Minnesota at Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – LA Clippers at Denver". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Golden State at Houston". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Denver at Oklahoma City". basketball-reference.com.
- "Boxscore – Indiana at Oklahoma City". basketball-reference.com.
- Ryan, Bob. (June 23, 2005). "Time to turn back clock on format". [[The Boston Globe]].
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