Game 7 of the NBA Finals is one of the most thrilling moments in basketball history. It was a do-or-die battle, with only one team capable of lifting the championship trophy and the other team leaving the tournament in disgrace. It's a battle that creates legends, and every shot, every block, and every assist can become a timeless classic.
In the history of the NBA, there are many memorable Game 7 games that have brought countless surprises and touches to basketball fans. Based on the intensity of the game and the performance of the players, we have compiled the seventh game of the top 10 Finals in NBA history for you, so let's review these wonderful moments together!
10th: Rochester Royals vs New York Knicks (1951)
On April 21, 1951, the Royals won 79-75
It was the first Game 7 in NBA Finals history, and it almost had a 3-0 comeback miracle. The Rochester Royals won three games in a row at the start of the Finals and seemed to have sealed the victory, but the New York Knicks were not willing to admit defeat, and they stubbornly fought back to make the score 3-3 and force a showdown.
The game was thrilling, with both sides alternating leads until the final quarter, when the Knicks trailed by just two points at 62-60. But the Royals' Arnie Lisson and Bob Davis played well in key moments, helping the team win a narrow 79-75 victory to win the 1951 NBA championship. Ani Reeson had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the game, and he was also the Finals MVP player, averaging 21.7 points and 14.3 rebounds per game in the series.
9th place: Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks (1994)
On June 7, 1994, the Rockets won 90-84
After Michael Jordan's retirement, the NBA's throne has become vacant, and both the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks want to become the new hegemon. They battled it out in the 1994 Grand Final, with each side winning three games to decide the championship.
The game was a battle between centers, with the Rockets' Hakeem Olajuwon and the Knicks' Patrick Ewing both playing well in seven games, but Olajuwon had the upper hand in Game 7, where he had 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and three steals in 46 minutes of playing time to lead the Rockets on a 27-24 offensive run in the fourth quarter to beat the Knicks 90-84 and win the first championship in Rockets history.
Olajuwon set an unprecedented record this season, becoming the first player in NBA history to win the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals Most Valuable Player and Finals Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season.
8th place: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1962)
On April 18, 1962, the Celtics won 110-107
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are the biggest rivals in NBA history, having faced each other many times in the Finals of the '60s, and the 1962 Finals were the most thrilling between them. The Celtics led the series 3-2, but the Lakers narrowly won 117-115 in Game 6 with 43 points and 22 rebounds from Elgin Baylor to drag the game into Game 7.
The game was a scoring battle, with stars on both sides pulling out their best, with the Lakers' Elgin Baylor and Jerry West combined for 76 points and 28 rebounds, and the Celtics' Bill Russell and Sam Jones combined for 57 points and 46 rebounds. The game went into overtime, and the two sides were still close until the final moment, when the Celtics' Frank Ramsey hit two key free throws from the free throw line to help his team win 110-107 and win the 1962 NBA championship.
Bill Russell set an amazing record in this game, where he grabbed 40 rebounds, the most rebounds in a single game in NBA Finals history.
7th place: Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Eagles (1957)
On April 13, 1957, the Celtics won 125-123
Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals was the first Finals in NBA history to require double overtime. It was a game full of suspense and surprises.
The St. Louis Hawks had a great game against the Celtics, with their stars Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagen and Slater Martin all playing well, but it was the Celtics' rookie Tom Heinsohn who emerged as the biggest hero of the game.
Heinsohne played 45 minutes on 17-of-33 shooting and 3-of-10 from the free-throw line for 37 points, 23 rebounds and two assists, while the Green Army won by two points over the Hawks. In the opponent's lineup, Petit scored 39 points, 19 rebounds and 3 assists.
6th place: New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers (1970)
On May 8, 1970, the Knicks won 113-99
It was a classic Finals game, with both teams boasting a plethora of star players such as Willis Reed, Walter Fraser, and Dave Debusscel for the Knicks, and Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor for the Lakers. The game was also an injury battle, with the Knicks' Reed injured in Game 5 and the Lakers' Chamberlain injured in Game 7.
The biggest attraction of the game was Reed's stunning return, who walked onto the court on crutches before Game 7 began, giving the Knicks and fans a huge amount of confidence. He played just four minutes in the game and had four points and three rebounds, but his mental strength inspired the rest of the Knicks, especially Walter Frazier, who scored 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds in the game to lead the Knicks to a 113-99 victory over the Lakers to win the 1970 NBA championship.
Fraser's performance in this game is considered one of the greatest single-game performances in NBA history, and he also won the Finals MVP honor, averaging 18.1 points, 12.4 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game in the series.
5th place: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2010)
On June 17, 2010, the Lakers won 83-79
It was a battle for revenge, with the Lakers losing to the Celtics in the 2008 Finals and eager to get their revenge in the 2010 Finals. It was a defensive battle, with both teams excelling defensively. But it's worth noting that Game 7 has a very low score, ranking 23rd in NBA Finals history.
The biggest hero of the game was Kobe Bryant, who had 23 points, 15 rebounds and two steals in this game, and although he shot just 25% from the field, he showed his leadership qualities in key moments, leading the Lakers to a 30-22 offensive wave in the fourth quarter, defeating the Celtics 83-79 to win the 2010 NBA championship.
The game not only showcased the high level of competition in the NBA a decade ago, but also highlighted the importance of defense in high-intensity games. Pau Gasol and Ci Shiping also played a role, but the efficiency needs to be improved. On the other hand, the Celtics shot only 40.8% from the field, and the performance was even worse.
4th place: Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons (1988)
On June 21, 1988, the Lakers won 108-105
It was a battle of rivalry, with both the Lakers and Pistons known for their hard-hitting style, and they battled to the death in the 1988 Finals, winning three games each to decide the championship.
In the end, after a tough battle, the Lakers defeated the Pistons 108-105 in the Finals tie-break to win two consecutive championships, becoming the first team to successfully defend the title since the Celtics in 1968 and 1969.
The biggest highlight of the game was James Worthy's courageous performance, where he had 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. The Magic contributed 19 points, 5 rebounds and 14 assists. For the Pistons, Isiah Thomas scored 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting due to an injury in Game 6.
Worthy was considered one of the greatest single-game performances in NBA history for this game, and he was also honored as the Finals MVP, averaging 22.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the series.
3rd place: Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs (2013)
On June 20, 2013, the Heat won 95-88
It was a great Finals affair with top stars from both teams such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for the Heat and Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili for the Spurs. The game was also a comeback Finals, with the Heat trailing 2-3 in the series, but they dragged the game into Game 7 with a magical three-pointer from Ray Allen in Game 6.
The biggest hero of the game was LeBron James, who had 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the game, and he scored 22 points in the second half to help the Heat go on a 28-22 offensive run in the fourth quarter to beat the Spurs 95-88 and win the 2013 NBA championship.
James has had a great season, winning both regular season MVP and Finals MVP. He averaged 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and seven assists per game in the series, contributing to the team's victory. It is worth mentioning that James won the MVP award in the regular season and the Finals for two consecutive years, demonstrating his outstanding strength and leadership style.
2nd place: Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics (1969)
On May 5, 1969, the Celtics won 108-106
This is a thrilling series, the first three games of the finals Lakers Lakers lead the Celtics 2-1, the fourth game Celtics narrowly beat the Lakers with Sam Jones' stunner, the fifth game the Lakers easily defeated the Celtics, the sixth game Celtics stubbornly equalized the score, and the seventh game the two sides moved to Los Angeles to start the final battle.
Despite Jerry West's 42 points, the Lakers lost in the final game of the series, as the Celtics' John Havlicek, Em Bryant and Sam Jones all contributed more than 20 points to help the team win the championship.
The Celtics have proven year after year that the reason they have been able to win so many championships is because they have a full roster of strong players, while the Lakers rely more on West, Baylor and the aging Chamberlain to contend with their opponents.
West, who averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game, became the only player to lose the NBA Finals and still receive the Finals MVP honor.
No. 1: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)
It was an epic Finals affair in which both teams set NBA records, with the Golden State Warriors breaking the Chicago Bulls' record with a 73-9 record in the regular season and the Cleveland Cavaliers coming back from 3-1 down in the Finals to become the first team in NBA history to achieve this feat in the Finals.
It was a psychological battle with a lot of pressure and challenge on both sides. In the final minutes of the game, neither side scored, until Irving, defended by Curry, hit a decisive three-pointer to help the Cavaliers win the 2016 NBA championship with a narrow 93-89 victory.
LeBron James had 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 blocks in the game, and he also won the honor of Finals MVP, averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game in the series.
Their 2016 Finals victory was their first championship in NBA history and the City of Cleveland's first professional sports championship in 52 years. James also set an amazing record this season, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead in all five statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) in the Finals.
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