The 2025-26 NBA season is nearing its final weeks, and teams are fighting for playoff spots as we head into April’s play-in tournament. With several tight races, we might see at least one series go all the way to a Game7.
Winner-take-all games draw increased national attention and commercial activity around the league. Major playoff matchups often align with promotions across the broader gaming market, and some fans compare sportsbook incentives and online casino offers through BonusFinder and other resources when evaluating their options.
As we get closer to the postseason, it’s a good time to look back at the Game7 performances that have made past NBA playoff runs unforgettable.
1970: Willis Reed and Walt Frazier Deliver in New York
Few moments in basketball history rival Willis Reed walking out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel on May 8, 1970.
Reed had torn a thigh muscle in Game5 and missed Game6, when WiltChamberlain’s 45 points and 27 rebounds tied the series at 3-3. His status for the decider was uncertain. Then, moments before tip-off, he emerged for warmups.
“I didn’t want to have to look at myself in the mirror 20 years later and say I wished I had tried to play,” Reed recalled.
He scored the Knicks’ first two baskets and finished with four points before leaving midway through the second quarter. Walt “Clyde” Frazier carried the night from there. He delivered 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds, and six steals in a 113-99 victory.
ESPN’s SportsCentury project later ranked the match as the ninth-greatest game of the 20th century.
1988: Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins Trade Fourth-Quarter Shots
Game7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals at Boston Garden came down to a direct exchange between Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins.
With the score tied 86-86 and 10:26 remaining, the two forwards took over. Bird scored nine points in 1:58 to open the stretch and added 11 more late, including the go-ahead basket with 3:34 left and a three-pointer over Wilkins with 1:43 remaining.
Bird finished with 34 points, 20 in the fourth quarter. Wilkins answered with 16 in the final period and a game-high 47 overall on 19-for-23 shooting.
Boston prevailed 118-116 after Wilkins intentionally missed a late free throw. Robert Parish tipped the rebound to Dennis Johnson as time expired.
Kevin McHale later described the stretch as “like two gunfighters waiting to blink.” It remains one of the most memorable scoring duels ever staged in a Game7.
2016: LeBron James and “The Block”
If one Game7 has defined the modern era, it’s the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.
Golden State entered the series after a 73-9 regular season and built a 3-1 Finals lead. Cleveland responded with three consecutive wins to force a decider. Through six games, the teams had scored an identical 610 points each.
The defining sequence came with 1:50 remaining and the score tied 89-89. Andre Iguodala broke free for a transition layup that would have given Golden State the lead. LeBron James sprinted the length of the floor and pinned the shot against the backboard.
Mike Breen’s call captured the moment: “Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBronJames with the rejection!”
Moments later, Kyrie Irving drilled a step-back three over Stephen Curry to give Cleveland the lead.
The Cavaliers won 93-89, becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. James finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, earning unanimous Finals MVP honors.
The victory marked the first road win in an NBA Finals Game7 since 1978. It also ended a 52-year championship drought for Cleveland.
2019: Kawhi Leonard’s Buzzer-Beater
The showdown between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals produced the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history.
The score was tied 90-90 with 4.2 seconds left after Jimmy Butler’s layup. Toronto used its final timeout to design a play for KawhiLeonard. Leonard dribbled to the right corner and launched a high-arcing jumper over Joel Embiid.
The ball bounced on the rim four times before falling through, giving Toronto a 92-90 win.
“That’s something I never experienced before, Game 7, a game-winning shot,” Leonard said afterward. “It was a blessing to be able to get to that point and make that shot and feel that moment.”
Leonard finished with 41 points on 16-of-39 shooting. After the shot dropped, cameras showed Embiid visibly emotional as he left the court following Philadelphia’s loss.
2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads OKC to Title
The 2024-25 season NBA Finals marked the first Game7 in the championship round since 2016. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the IndianaPacers 103-91 to claim the franchise’s first title since relocating from Seattle.
This was the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history. Early in the game, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon after starting 3-for-4 from three-point range. Despite the injury, the Pacers led 48-47 at halftime.
OKC separated in the third quarter, using three consecutive three-pointers to build a 65-56 advantage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points and 12 assists. Chet Holmgren added 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks, while JalenWilliams scored 20.
The Thunder became the first team to break the 100-point mark in a Finals Game7 since 1988. SGA also took home FinalsMVP, making him the first player since 2013 to win both the regular-season and FinalsMVP in the same year.
Looking Back at Decisive Moments
Game 7s in the NBA have produced some of the most statistically and historically significant performances in the league. From Willis Reed’s return in 1970 to Oklahoma City’s championship victory in 2025, these games combined high stakes with lasting impact.
What really matters in these winner-take-all matchups is how players perform individually and how they execute in crunch time. That’s what makes them valuable reference points in discussions of playoff performance.