1) Game three, 1947 BAA quarterfinals: Knicks 93, Cleveland Rebels 71

In a best-of-three series that kicked off the first ever NBA playoffs in 1947, the Knicks lost in game one to the Cleveland Rebels, then won games two and three easily to advance to the semifinals, where they were eliminated in a sweep by the Warriors. Why is this significant? Well, that 93-71 loss in game three turned out to be the last game in Rebels franchise history. About two months later, they folded, one of four original BAA teams to do so in the 1947 offseason. It was a fittingly strange series in an odd playoff format, with the Rebels and Knicks facing off as the third place finishers in their respective divisions. Cleveland easily took game one at home, 77-51, thanks to 24 points from their best player, Ed “Moose” Sadowski. The series shifted to Madison Square Garden for the remainder and the Knicks offense woke up, running away with game two, 86-74. Game three was even more lopsided, with center Bud Palmer leading the way with 26 points in the 93-71 blowout. Aside from the Rebels history coming to a close, this game is also significant as the first series win in Knicks franchise history.

2) Game seven, 1970 NBA Finals: Knicks 113, Lakers 99

Almost a quarter century after the Knicks won their first playoff series in a blowout, they closed out their first ever championship in a similar manner. Unlike their lightly documented victory over the Rebels in 1947, this Knicks victory is one of the most hallowed and catalogued games in NBA history. This is the famed “Here comes Willis” game, where Knicks MVP Willis Reed played on a torn thigh, inspiring the Knicks to an improbable victory. Marv Albert made the famous call when Reed jogged out of the tunnel and onto the Madison Square Garden court as the fans exploded. He had suffered the injury during game five, which the Knicks still managed to win to take a 3-2 series lead but with Reed sitting out, Wilt Chamberlain dominated game six, with 45 points and 27 rebounds in a 135-113 Lakers win. Even though Reed played light minutes in game seven and finished with just four points, his presence was seemingly enough as the Knicks won going away, 113-99. The final score actually makes it seem closer than it was, as New York led by 20+ points for most of the second half. Reed was named Finals MVP but Walt Frazier was the hero in this game for New York, with 36 points, 19 assists, and seven rebounds.

3) Game seven, 2001 Eastern Conference Finals: 76ers 108, Bucks 91

To an outside observer, this is a game with a simple narrative. Allen Iverson, in the biggest game of his career up to that point, led the way with 44 points in a 76ers blowout, aided by a third quarter knee injury to Bucks star Ray Allen. But to a Bucks fan, this was the final piece of evidence in an extended crime scene, perpetrated by the NBA league office and the game officials. The free throw disparity in this game certainly does tell a story, with the 76ers attempting 32 compared to just 19 for Milwaukee. That was indicative of the series as a whole, with Philadelphia enjoying a 186-120 free throw attempt advantage. Sixers fans would point to Iverson’s aggressive, slashing nature causing the imbalance, compared to Allen’s long range shooting strategy. But to this day, many Bucks fans claim the fix was in for the bigger market 76ers, citing not just the free throw discrepancy but even more egregious, a game six flagrant foul call on Scott Williams that was later deemed a higher category, leaving the Bucks without their now suspended starting center for game seven. This loss marked the beginning of the end for the Bucks’ star duo of Allen and Glenn Robinson, who began bickering with each other over this result, while concurrently dissenting with authoritarian coach George Karl. Robinson was traded to the Hawks a year later, while Allen was shipped to Seattle soon after.

4) Game seven, 1990 Eastern Conference Finals: Pistons 93, Bulls 74

Following decisive losses to the Pistons in the 1988 and 1989 playoffs, Michael Jordan and the Bulls seemed primed to finally break through against their tormenters in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. Chicago had dominated game six at home, with Jordan scoring 29 points in a 109-91 victory to set up game seven in Detroit. Then, seemingly everything that could go wrong in game seven did, with John Paxson unable to play on a sprained ankle, Scottie Pippen supposedly “seeing double” due to a migraine, and the vaunted “Jordan Rules” defense spearheaded by Joe Dumars suffocating the Bulls superstar. Jordan finished the game with 31 points but on 13-of-27 shooting, while the rest of the Bulls shot just 23.8% from the field. Pippen and Grant especially struggled, shooting a combined 4-of-27, though Grant did at least add his usual strong rebounding and defense. Isiah Thomas had a near triple-double to lead the Pistons, who had four other players score in double digits in their signature balanced attack. Jordan had to be consoled by his father when he broke down and wept on the team bus following the game. He vowed to come back stronger in ’90-’91 and did, both literally and figuratively, with 15 extra pounds of muscle added in the offseason and a new mental fortitude that propelled the Bulls past Detroit in the Conference Finals (in a sweep) into their first championship in franchise history.

5) Game seven, 1960 NBA Finals: Celtics 122, Hawks 103

The 1960 NBA Finals was a heavily anticipated rubber match between Bill Russell’s Celtics and Bob Pettit’s Hawks. The two had faced off in the Finals previously in 1957 and 1958, with the Celtics winning the former and the Hawks the latter (notably, with Russell missing most of the series with an ankle injury). Whereas their victory in the 1957 deciding game seven was an all-time classic, double overtime thriller, the Celtics left little doubt in the winner-take-all game in 1960. In front of a raucous Boston Garden crowd, they opened up a huge lead in the second quarter and then cruised to a 122-103 win. Russell finished with 22 points and 35 rebounds while Frank Ramsey had a game high 24 points off the bench. Russell’s Celtics would ultimately play in and win five NBA Finals game seven contests and this is the only one that didn’t come down to the final possession. Boston and St. Louis met one more time in the NBA Finals in 1961, with the Celtics putting that series away in a more comfortable five games.

6) Game seven, 2006 Conference Quarterfinals: Suns 121, Lakers 90
7) Game seven, 2006 Conference Semifinals: Suns 127, Clippers 107

Considering that their star center Amare Stoudemire missed essentially the entire season due to knee surgery, the Suns had a pretty successful ’05-’06, winning 54 games and reaching the Conference Finals. But the first two rounds of the playoffs were anything but easy, as the #2 seeded Suns had to rally to escape consecutive upset bids from the Lakers and Clippers. Both of these series have a special place in modern NBA lore which belies their anti-climactic game seven endings. The Conference Quarterfinals series featured some of the greatest performances of Kobe Bryant’s career, most notably the game four Lakers win in which he tied the game at the buzzer in regulation and then won it in overtime with a buzzer beater. That gave the Lakers a 3-1 series lead but the Suns were able to erase it, finishing things off with a 121-90 blowout in game seven. Leandro Barbosa led the way for Phoenix with 26 points off the bench, while five other Suns players finished with double digit scoring in a balanced attack. Bryant was notably quiet in the game, attempting just five field goals in the second half in a performance that many fans and analysts interpreted as the superstar “proving” to Lakers management just how weak his supporting cast was. In the next round, Phoenix took on a Clippers team that had just won its first playoff series in 30 years. Thanks in large part to Steve Nash struggling with a bad back, the Clippers were able to trade blows with the Suns in the first six games, setting up a decisive game seven in Phoenix. The Suns left little doubt in this one, opening up a sizable lead right after halftime en route to a 127-107 win. This young, exciting Clippers team, centered around Elton Brand, Shaun Livingston, and Corey Maggette failed to make the postseason again, setting off another prolonged drought without a series win.

8) Game seven, 1984 Conference Semifinals: Celtics 121, Knicks 104

In a must win game six in the 1984 Conference Semifinals, Bernard King put on a sensational performance for the Knicks, finishing with 44 points in a 106-104 win. This set up a highly anticipated game seven in Boston, with the upstart Knicks looking to stun a Celtics powerhouse that seemed primed to cruise to the NBA Finals. But the game itself was a rout, with reigning MVP Larry Bird completely outplaying his small forward counterpart with a triple-double: 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Meanwhile, King spent the game dealing with double teams and triple teams and shot just 8-of-17 from the field for 24 points. As a team, Boston shot over 51% from the field and they opened up a 10 point lead at the end of the first quarter before riding out a 121-104 win. The Celtics went on to defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals, with Bird earning his first Finals MVP award. The Knicks struggled with injuries in ’84-’85, most notably an ACL tear for King, and finished with one of the worst records in the NBA, setting them up to win the lottery and draft Patrick Ewing.

9) Game three, 1960 Conference Semifinals: Warriors 132, Nationals 112

In his rookie season, Wilt Chamberlain won the scoring title with 37.6 points per game, the rebounding title with 27.0 per game, earned both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, and carried a Warriors team that had finished below .500 in ’58-’59 to a 49-26 record and the #2 seed in the East. What did he do for an encore in the postseason? In a winner-take-all Conference Semifinal game three against the Syracuse Nationals, he set the playoffs record for points in a game with 53 and rebounds in a game with 22 in a 132-112 win. It was the high point of one of the greatest rookie seasons and greatest rookie postseasons in NBA history. In fact, while those 53 points are now only the 17th highest total all-time, it still stands as the single game rookie record, one that is highly unlikely to ever be broken. Chamberlain played just as strongly in the next round but the Warriors were no match for Bill Russell and the Celtics. Syracuse then got revenge on Philadelphia in 1961, sweeping them in a Conference Semifinals re-match.

10) Game seven, 2005 Conference Quarterfinals: Mavericks 116, Rockets 76

Despite a strong roster anchored by superstars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming that regularly produced 50+ wins, the Rockets lost four consecutive Conference Quarterfinals series between 2004 and 2008. Such was life in the highly competitive ’00s Western Conference gauntlet. All four of those series losses were disillusioning in their own ways but the most crushing came in 2005 against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks. If you ask a Rockets fan, there were additional opponents in this series: the officials, who were instructed by David Stern and the league office to call tighter fouls on Houston after Dallas owner Mark Cuban made multiple public complaints after the Rockets stole games one and two in Dallas. The Mavericks won games three, four, and five, each of which featured major foul trouble for the Rockets, especially Yao, who was suddenly under heavily scrutiny for his picks and screens. The Rockets rallied to win game six to force a deciding game seven in Dallas that turned out to be a complete annihilation. McGrady hit just 10-of-29 field goals, part of the Rockets collectively shooting 35.4% as a team, while Jason Terry led the way with 31 points in a 116-76 Mavericks blowout. That 50 point differential is the biggest in NBA history in a winner-take-all playoff game.

“Even though this was one of the most heated rivalries in NBA history, when the game was no longer in doubt in the fourth quarter, the Boston faithful began serenading the 76ers with chants of “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!”

11) Game seven, 1992 Conference Semifinals: Bulls 110, Knicks 81

Each of the Bulls title teams of the ’90s stand amongst the greatest in NBA history and for the most part they advanced through those six postseasons without much trouble. Though this series ended with a 110-81 blowout, it was still one of the toughest tests Michael Jordan and Chicago faced throughout that era. The Knicks were heavy underdogs but came out swinging, winning game one in Chicago and turning the series into a slugfest, as was standard in those days for Pat Riley coached teams. Scottie Pippen struggled with the effects of a sprained ankle throughout but it was an ankle injury for Patrick Ewing that was suffered in game six that may have ultimately been the difference here. Ewing finished game seven with 22 points but was sluggish, especially in the second half, and the Bulls were finally able to push the tempo in a series in which they had averaged just 89.5 points in the first six games. A healthy-looking Pippen finished the game with a triple-double, while Jordan was his usual dominant self with 42 points. Of the 24 series they won during their six championship runs, this was one of just two for the Bulls that went to a deciding final game, with the 1998 Conference Finals against the Pacers being the other.

12) Game seven, 1974 NBA Finals: Celtics 102, Bucks 87

When the Bucks took game six of this series in the Boston Garden in a double overtime thriller, they seemed primed to seize that momentum and close out a championship at home in game seven. Instead, Milwaukee flatlined, shooting just 44.4% from the field and 57.7% from the free throw line in a 102-87 loss. It was an especially disappointing performance from Oscar Robertson, who finished with just six points on 2-of-13 shooting in what would turn out to be his final game (he announced his retirement a few months later). Dave Cowens led the Celtics with 28 points and 14 rebounds while series MVP John Havlicek finished with 16 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. It finished off a wild NBA Finals, which went the full seven games despite six of them being decided by eight points or more, and the road team winning each of the last four games. In addition to the end of Robertson’s career, this loss almost portended the conclusion of this ’70s Bucks powerhouse, as they missed the playoffs in ’74-’75 and subsequently traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers.

13) Game seven, 2012 Conference Finals: Heat 101, Celtics 88

Game six of this series is the one most people remember, with LeBron James putting on one of the all-time playoff performances, with 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting in a Heat win in Boston. But Miami still needed to win game seven to close out the series and end the Celtics’ upset bid and they did so in decisive fashion. James was masterful again, with 31 points and 12 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 23 points in a 101-88 win in Miami. The Celtics actually led for most of the first half, even by as much as 11 in the second quarter, until the Heat took over in the second half, embarking on a 12-3 run early in the third quarter to take the lead and then a 18-4 run midway through in the fourth quarter to put it away. The aging Boston “Big Three” of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen looked exhausted in this game, having seemingly expended all their energy taking a 3-2 lead earlier in the series. It would end up being their final game together, as Allen signed with the Heat as a free agent in the ensuing offseason. This was also the first game seven win of James’ career, as he had lost in his previous two attempts with the Cavaliers. He has yet to lose in a game seven since, with five straight wins and counting.  

14) Game seven, 1973 Conference Finals: Knicks 94, Celtics 78

With reigning league MVP Dave Cowens leading the way, the Celtics were determined to avenge their 1972 Conference Finals loss and re-take their throne as the class of the Eastern Conference. But Willis Reed and the wily Knicks had other plans, instead dealing the Celtics arguably their worst playoff home loss in franchise history. After blowing their opportunity to close out the series at Madison Square Garden in game six, the Knicks rallied in game seven at the other Garden in Boston, easily defeating the Celtics, 94-78. Walt Frazier finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in a masterful display, completely controlling the tempo on both ends of the court. Not only was this one of their biggest playoff margins of defeat ever, this was also the first time the Celtics ever lost in a game seven. Prior to this, they had possessed a record of 11-0 in winner-take-all closeout games, dating back to 1957. While the Knicks went on to win the 1973 championship, the Celtics finally got the better of them in 1974 in the Conference Semifinals en route to their own title.

15) Game seven, 1995 Conference Finals: Magic 105, Pacers 81

Desperation was in the air even more so than usual ahead of this winner-take-all game seven in Orlando. The Magic had defeated the Bulls in a prior Conference Semifinals series but Michael Jordan was less than 100% and it was widely assumed that Chicago would return to dominance in ’95-’96. This meant that the window was closing for either the Magic or Pacers to make their NBA Finals debut. It had been a tight series, with the first five games all coming down to the final minute, until the Pacers scored a 123-96 blowout win at home in game six to force game seven. Indiana had already won a game seven on the road in this very postseason, over the Knicks in the previous round, but they had no chance in this one, falling behind early and then failing to rally as the Magic advanced with a 105-81 win. Shaquille O’Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds but the real story was the three-point shooting, with Orlando finishing 13-of-27 from three-point range while the Pacers shot just 4-of-19. The Magic missed their chance to close things out with a title, getting swept by the Rockets in the NBA Finals, and sure enough were eliminated by the Bulls in the 1996 playoffs, followed by O’Neal’s departure for Los Angeles. The Pacers lost in the Conference Finals again in 1998 to the Bulls and in 1999 to the Knicks before finally making their NBA Finals debut in 2000.

16) Game seven, 2003 Conference Quarterfinals: Pistons 108, Magic 93

Ahead of the ’02-’03 season, the NBA announced that it was extending the first round series from best-of-five to best-of-seven, supposedly to ensure higher chances of the better team advancing. In an unexpected sequence of events, the first playoffs with the new format almost featured a massive first round upset. The Pistons entered the playoffs as the #1 seed and the only Eastern Conference team to win 50 or more games, while the Magic finished just barely above .500 to sneak in as the #8 seed. But Tracy McGrady, fresh off earning his first scoring title at age 23, dominated the first four games of this series, averaging 37.3 points per game and staking Orlando a 3-1 series lead. T-Mac went on record guaranteeing that the Magic would close things out and advance but things turned around completely from there, with the Pistons dominating the remainder of the series, culminating in a 108-93 win in game seven. The difference in the back half was the defensive pressure of rookie Tayshaun Prince, who held McGrady to 36% shooting in the final three games, all of which were Detroit blowouts. Chauncey Billups was also unstoppable on the other end, scoring 77 total points in games six and seven. The Pistons moved on to reach the 2003 Conference Finals, their first of six consecutive appearances.

17) Game seven, 1952 NBA Finals: Lakers 82, Knicks 65

The first NBA Finals to go the full seven games was 1951, when the Knicks came up short against their in-state rivals the Rochester Royals. In game seven that year, the Knicks blew a late lead, getting outscored 7-1 in the final two minutes to fall, 79-75. They found themselves in an NBA Finals game seven again in 1952 against George Mikan and the mighty Minneapolis Lakers but things went decidedly different this time in the winner-take-all affair. Behind 22 points and 19 rebounds from Mikan, the Lakers cruised to an 82-65 win. New York shot just 28.1% from the field in the game, with the star trio of Connie Simmons, Max Zaslofsky, and Nat Clifton shooting a combined 12-of-40. It marked a third title in four years for the Lakers, who defeated the Knicks again in the 1953 NBA Finals, this time closing things out in five games. New York wouldn’t reach the Finals again until 1970, when things went an emphatically different direction (see #2 above). 

18) Game seven, 2022 Conference Semifinals: Mavericks 123, Suns 90

As the defending conference champions and #1 seed, the Suns were heavy favorites in the Western Conference heading into the 2022 playoffs. But they struggled from the start, needing six games to eliminate the short-handed Pelicans in round one, then getting decimated in this winner-take-all match-up with the #4 seed Mavericks in the Conference Semifinals. In a way, it was an appropriate ending, as this series went a full seven games but four of those contests were decided by a differential of 20 points or more. The home team was victorious in the first six games, including a 113-86 drubbing by the Mavericks in Dallas in game six. But the Mavericks opened up a big early lead in game seven and then never looked back, eventually cruising to a 123-90 win. Luka Doncic was terrific as usual, finishing with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson added 24 points and Spencer Dinwiddie dropped 30 off the bench. The Mavericks advanced on to the Conference Finals, where they were no match for the Warriors, losing in five games. As for the Suns, over the course of just a few hours of this game, they shifted from a title favorite to a team in disarray, with major questions surrounding their superstars Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton heading into the offseason.

19) Game seven, 1982 Conference Finals: 76ers 120, Celtics 106

The vaunted aura of Boston Garden has come up numerous times already on this list and this may be the most notable example of it failing to affect the outcome. This was the third straight year the 76ers and Celtics had matched up in the Eastern Conference Finals and in the 1981 edition, the Celtics had erased a 3-1 series deficit in thrilling fashion, with some of the most memorable games in NBA history. They seemed primed to repeat that feat in 1982, winning games five and six to tie the series at 3-3 heading into a game seven in Boston. But instead, Andrew Toney proved why he had earned the nickname “Boston Strangler,” leading Philadelphia with 34 points in a 120-106 win. Julius Erving added 29 for the 76ers, while Maurice Cheeks finished with 19 points and 11 assists. Larry Bird had a near triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, but struggled with his shooting, finishing 7-of-18 from the field, while Robert Parish had a nightmare game, with 13 missed shots and six turnovers. Even though this was one of the most heated rivalries in NBA history, when the game was no longer in doubt in the fourth quarter, the Boston faithful began serenading the 76ers with chants of “Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!” They failed to do just that, falling to the Lakers in six games in the ensuing NBA Finals.

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