How Many Times Have the NBA Finals Gone to Game 7? The History Explained
For the first time since 2016, the NBA Finals are headed to a decisive Game 7.
We are officially down to the last game of the NBA season. For the first time since 2016, the NBA Finals are headed to Game 7, after the Indiana Pacers' dominant victory in Game 6 over the Oklahoma City Thunder last night.
For a lot of sports fans, a Game 7 showdown at the end of a championship run is as thrilling as sports gets. After trading blows through six games, the two teams at the top of the league play one more time for all the marbles, giving it everything they've got to close out the season. It's always an exciting time, but how many times in NBA history has it actually happened?
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With the NBA returning to NBC next season, let's take a closer look at the history of Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
How many times have the NBA Finals gone to Game 7?
Counting this season, the NBA Finals have gone to a Game 7 just 20 times.
The National Basketball Association held its first championship series at the end of the 1946-1947 season, but it wasn't until the 1950-51 season that the series went to its first Game 7, when the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) defeated the New York Knicks.
After 79 years of NBA play, this year's showdown between the Pacers and the Thunder marks just the 20th time that two teams have pushed the Finals to a Game 7, and the first Game 7 in a Finals since the Cleveland Cavaliers' victory over the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Of the previous 19 matchups, five were played in the 1950s, four in the '60s, three in the '70s, two in the '80s, one in the '90s, one in the '00s, and three in the 2010s.
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Which teams have the most NBA Finals Game 7 appearances?
The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record with nine appearances in NBA Finals Game 7s.
This year marks the first Game 7 Finals appearance for the Pacers, and the second for the Thunder, who lost Game 7 in the 1978 Finals, back when they were the Seattle SuperSonics, to the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards). But some storied NBA teams have made many more trips to Game 7 in their histories.
The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for most Game 7 appearances, popping up in nine of the 19 previous matchups. Just behind them are the Boston Celtics, who've notched eight Game 7 appearances, including five against the Lakers in the NBA's most storied rivalry. Despite being one game behind the Lakers in terms of appearances, though, the Celtics have logged the most Game 7 wins of any time, winning seven of their eight appearances, while the Lakers have won four of their nine.
Other teams who've recorded multiple Game 7 appearances in NBA history include the New York Knicks with four, the Detroit Pistons with three, and the Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, and San Antonio Spurs with two each. For a complete breakdown of every Game 7 so far, head to the NBA's website.
When will the NBA return to NBC?
The NBA on NBC returns this October, with Peacock-exclusive games streaming Monday nights, and Tuesday night matchups in primetime on NBC. And in 2026, the action gets even bigger with the debut of Sunday Night Basketball. For more NBA news, check out NBC Sports.
