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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Karl Rasmussen

List of Every NBA Finals Series to Go Seven Games

The 2024 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night, as the Boston Celtics look to add an 11th Larry O'Brien Trophy to their trophy case, while the Dallas Mavericks look to secure the franchise's second-ever NBA title.

For viewing purposes, getting the opportunity to see a seven-game series between the Celtics and Mavericks would be wildly entertaining. It's somewhat uncommon for an NBA Finals series to go the full seven games, however. Throughout history, the NBA Finals has gone the full distance of seven games only 19 times.

Most recently, the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors was decided in seven games, but the past seven championships have been decided quicker than that.

Here's a look at every NBA Finals series that has gone seven games:

YEAR

MATCHUP

1951

Rochester Royals def. New York Knicks

1952

Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks

1954

Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals

1955

Syracuse Nationals def. Fort Wayne Pistons

1957

Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks

1960

Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks

1962

Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers

1966

Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers

1969

Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers

1970

New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers

1974

Boston Celtics def. Milwaukee Bucks

1978

Washington Bullets def. Seattle Supersonics

1984

Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers

1988

Los Angeles Lakers def. Detroit Pistons

1994

Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks

2005

San Antonio Spurs def. Detroit Pistons

2010

Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics

2013

Miami Heat def. San Antonio Spurs

2016

Cleveland Cavaliers def. Golden State Warriors

Game 7's have been few and far between in recent history. Since 1995, only four NBA Finals series have reached the coveted seventh game.

Of course, those that have gone the distance have resulted in some iconic moments, including the Cavaliers becoming the first team in league history to overcome a 3–1 deficit in the Finals in '16 against the Warriors.

Of the 19 Game 7's in NBA Finals history, only two have gone to overtime, and none since 1962 when the Celtics took down the Lakers.

KARL RASMUSSEN

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