Walt Frazier, LeBron James and others who came up huge in Game 7 of NBA Finals
Sunday night's Game 7 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers marked the first Finals to go seven games since 2016, when the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers finished off their historic series comeback against the Golden State Warriors.
Advertisement
Despite that drought, there is a long history of Game 7s in the NBA Finals.
This year's Finals was the 20th to require seven games, a stretch that dates back to the early 1950s, when the Knicks lost back-to-back Game 7s in 1951 and 1952.
That means there is no shortage of iconic Game 7 performances.
Here are some of the best in the history of the NBA Finals.
Bill Russell
There are plenty of options to choose from with Russell, who famously went 5-0 with the Boston Celtics in Game 7s in the Finals (and 10-0 in Game 7s overall).
But no statline was more gaudy than Russell's 30-point, 40-rebound eruption in 1962, when his Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 110-107, in overtime.
Advertisement
The 40 rebounds remain a Finals Game 7 record.
Russell also had 22 points and 35 rebounds in Game 7 in 1960, and 25 points and 32 rebounds in Game 7 in 1966.
Jerry West
Arguably the greatest Game 7 performance in NBA Finals history came in a losing effort.
West had 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in 1969, but his Lakers lost that grand finale, 108-106, to the Celtics.
It was the first triple-double in Finals Game 7 history, and it remains the highest-scoring performance in a Finals Game 7.
Walt Frazier
It's known as the Willis Reed game, but Game 7 of the 1970 Finals went down as Frazier's finest moment.
Advertisement
Frazier scored 36 points on 12-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and 19 assists to lead the Knicks to a 113-99 win over the Lakers — and the first championship in franchise history.
The 19 assists remain a Finals Game 7 record.
James Worthy
The second triple-double in Finals Game 7 history also came courtesy of a Laker, with Worthy exploding for 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 108-105 win over the Detroit Pistons in 1988.
Magic Johnson had 19 points and 14 assists, while a 40-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had four points and three rebounds.
Worthy was named Finals MVP after his performance backed up coach Pat Riley's championship guarantee and made the Lakers the first team to repeat in nearly two decades.
Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest and Pau Gasol
Game 7 of the 2010 Finals wasn't the prettiest performance by Bryant, who shot just 6-of-24 from the field.
Advertisement
But his co-stars stepped up in that 83-79 win over the Celtics, with Artest scoring 20 points in 46 minutes, including a dagger 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining off of a pass from Bryant.
Gasol added 19 points and 18 rebounds in 42 minutes.
And despite his shooting struggles, Bryant found a way to affect the game. In addition to his timely assist to Artest, Bryant made 11 free throws, finished with a game-high 23 points and corralled 15 rebounds in 44 minutes.
LeBron James
The 2013 Finals are best remembered for Ray Allen's game-tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds of Game 6, which ultimately helped force a Game 7.
Advertisement
But it was James' Game 7 heroics that clinched the Miami Heat's second consecutive championship.
James scored 37 points with 12 rebounds and four assists in a 95-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs to claim a title that largely validated his Heat superteam as an all-time great.
James and Kyrie Irving
And James would have more Game 7 magic in store.
James' chase-down block on a fast-breaking Andre Iguodala kept the score tied with under two minutes left in his Cavaliers' eventual 93-89 win over the Warriors in 2016.
That set the stage for Irving's game-winning stepback 3-pointer over Stephen Curry with 53.0 seconds remaining.
James finished with 27 points, 11 rebound and 11 assists — the third triple-double in a Finals Game 7 — while Irving scored 26 points as Cleveland became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Marco Wilson injury: Bengals defensive back hurt during training camp, could miss weeks
Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Marco Wilson suffered an apparent injury during training camp near Paycor Stadium. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor didn't provide details about Wilson's injury after Sunday's practice, but did designate Wilson as "week to week" because of it. During the Bengals' Week 16 win against Cleveland in 2024, head coach Zac Taylor didn't appear to be happy with officials after Wilson was flagged for defensive pass interference for his coverage of Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy during the third quarter. The Bengals claimed Wilson off waivers in November 2024. Wilson, a fourth-round pick out of Florida in the 2021 NFL draft, also has played for the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Marco Wilson injury: Bengals DB week to week with unspecified issue
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tennessee sophomore Boo Carter's Rocky Top return '50/50' amid fall camp uncertainty
The Tennessee Volunteers are just days away from kicking off fall camp as they prepare for their season opener against Syracuse. However, an unfortunate situation has overshadowed the team's preseason buzz — and it doesn't involve players gearing up for the field. Sophomore Boo Carter has missed numerous team activities, and it's not sitting well within the program. 'Tennessee sophomore defensive back Boo Carter is expected to be one of the Volunteers' best players in 2025 on defense, offense and special teams, but his status with the team is unclear as we inch closer to August. Carter has missed 'numerous' team activities and was even confronted by team leaders because of his absences, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel,' CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani wrote. Adding to the drama, Carter has also blindsided his former agent. Apparently, the agent didn't even know he'd been replaced, as Carter and his mother have been unresponsive regarding the matter. 'I did represent Boo. However, I'm not sure I still do," Isaac Conner wrote in a text message to CBS Sports. "He has been non responsive and so has his mother. They posted something about Omar Cooper representing him and advising him now." Head coach Josh Heupel has made it clear that no individual is bigger than the Power T — not even himself — and he reportedly wouldn't hesitate to move on from Carter if necessary. If Carter is dismissed from the program, he's already been linked to a Big 12 school. For now, the outcome remains uncertain. 'We'll see how this situation plays out. For now, it feels like it's 50/50 on whether Carter plays for the Volunteers this fall,' A to Z Sports' Zach Ragan wrote. Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp There's no denying that Carter is a vital part of Tennessee's roster, but Heupel isn't known for compromising team standards. Fall camp begins July 30, and Heupel is expected to meet with the media beforehand to address lingering questions. As it stands, Carter's future with the program is completely up in the air.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Dallas hosts New York following Ionescu's 30-point outing
New York Liberty (17-7, 10-2 Eastern Conference) at Dallas Wings (7-19, 3-12 Western Conference) Arlington, Texas; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: New York Liberty visits the Dallas Wings after Sabrina Ionescu scored 30 points in the Liberty's 101-99 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Wings are 4-8 in home games. Dallas leads the Western Conference in rebounding, averaging 36.7 boards. Myisha Hines-Allen leads the Wings with 5.3 rebounds. The Liberty are 5-4 on the road. New York leads the Eastern Conference with 21.8 assists. Natasha Cloud paces the Liberty with 5.9. Dallas is shooting 41.5% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points lower than the 41.6% New York allows to opponents. New York averages 87.9 points per game, 1.3 more than the 86.6 Dallas allows to opponents. The matchup Monday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. TOP PERFORMERS: Arike Ogunbowale is averaging 16 points and 3.9 assists for the Wings. Paige Bueckers is averaging 15.0 points over the last 10 games. Cloud is averaging 10.4 points and 5.9 assists for the Liberty. Ionescu is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Wings: 3-7, averaging 82.3 points, 36.4 rebounds, 20.8 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 42.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 89.0 points per game. Liberty: 6-4, averaging 88.1 points, 33.1 rebounds, 22.0 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.2 points. INJURIES: Wings: Maddy Siegrist: out (knee), Tyasha Harris: out for season (knee). Liberty: Nyara Sabally: out (knee). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
