The Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets gave NBA fans one of the greatest deciding games in NBA playoffs history, in their second-round matchup of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo came up with fabulous performances, with the duo scoring 48 and 40 points, respectively. In the process, the two former NBA MVPs became only the third pair of rival players to score 40 points apiece in Game 7 of the NBA playoffs.
The decider between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets went to overtime, which marked the first Game 7 in NBA playoffs history since 2006 to go the distance.
NBA playoffs history is replete with several memorable Game 7s. On that note, let's have a look at the five greatest Game 7s in NBA playoffs history since the turn of the century. Without further ado, let's get started.
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#5 San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat - 2013 NBA Finals - Game 7
The San Antonio Spurs were involved in a historic Game 7 in the 21st century, in the 2006 second round against the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Miami Heat's Game 7 win over the Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals gets the nod here due to the greater stakes involved.
The 2013 NBA Finals were an instant classic, as two great teams faced each other in a seven-game series that had drama, blowouts and two extraordinary final games. After Ray Allen saved the Miami Heat's season in Game 6 with a game-tying three with five seconds left, Game 7 made more drama in store.
The Spurs were up by five points with less than 30 seconds on the clock in Game 6, but they could not hold on to their lead to win the championship. Although the San Antonio Spurs were expected to be a deflated lot after the manner of their loss in Game 6, they came out all guns blazing in the deciding game.
However, LeBron James produced one of the greatest games of his NBA career to help the Miami Heat pull off a 95-88 victory to seal the Championship. Though the final score was not that close, the game was only decided in the final minute.
With the Heat up by two points, Tim Duncan missed a hook shot and then missed a seemingly easy tip-in that would've tied the game with 46 seconds left. LeBron James then hit a jump shot over Kawhi Leonard with 27 seconds on the clock, and the Heat eventually closed the series in their favor from the free-throw line.
James ended the game with 37 points, 12 rebounds and five three-pointers; he also made eight attempts from the FT line. Dwyane Wade added 23 points for the Heat, and Shane Battier came up big off the bench with six three-pointers.
For the Spurs, Tim Duncan had 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard had 19 points and 16 rebounds.
#4 Philadelphia 76ers vs Toronto Raptors - 2019 Eastern Conference Semi-finals - Game 7
The Toronto Raptors' run to the 2019 NBA championship was an eventful one, with one of them being Kawhi Leonard's game-winning shot at the buzzer to take his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The back-and-forth series between Leonard's Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers, who had Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, was decided by the only game-winning shot at the buzzer in a Game 7.
The Raptors won the opening game of the series, thanks to Leonard's 45-point outing. The 76ers responded with two wins in a row but dropped Game 4 at home, with Leonard scoring 39 points.
The Raptors capitalized on their home-court advantage to take a 3-2 lead in the series, but the 76ers forced a decider after taking a 112-101 victory in Game 6.
The decisive game of the series was a closely-fought matchup that seemed destined to go to overtime after Butler tied the game at 90-all with a layup. But with four seconds on the clock, Kawhi Leonard grabbed the ball and shot a two-pointer from the baseline; the ball went in after multiple bounces on the rim as both teams looked on.
The Raptors took down the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals before beating the Golden State Warriors to win the 2019 NBA Finals.
#3 LA Lakers vs Sacramento Kings - 2002 Western Conference Finals - Game 7
The 2002 NBA champions LA Lakers completed an impressive three-peat, thanks to the fabulous exploits of the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant duo in the NBA Finals. However, before sweeping Jason Kidd's New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals, the Lakers had to go through a tough Western Conference Finals series against the Sacramento Kings.
Rick Adelman's Sacramento team, which had Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, among others, were the top-seeded team in the West and were geared up to beat the Lakers.
With home-court advantage, the 61-win Kings were looking to dethrone the Lakers. However, the Phil Jackson-coached team won Game 1 at the ARCO Arena, riding on 30 points from Bryant and 26 from Shaq.
The Kings, playing with Stojakovic enduring a sprained right ankle (he only played 63 minutes in the series), took a 2-1 lead with a win at home and one at the Staples Center.
The LA Lakers dodged a bullet in Game 4, with Robert Horry's memorable game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. The Kings won Game 5 at home by two points, and then the controversial Game 6 happened at LA. The Lakers shot 40 free throws (Sacramento took 25, while LA had 27 in the fourth quarter alone) in the game to win it 106-102.
Even though controversy still surrounds the sixth game of that series, the seventh game was a memorable one. The LA Lakers won behind Shaquille O'Neal's 35 points and Bryant's 30 in a thrilling game that went to overtime.
It was only the fifth Game 7 in NBA history to go to overtime. The LA Lakers won it 112-106 to reach the NBA Finals, where they completed a three-peat.
#2 Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets - 2021 Eastern Conference Semi-finals - Game 7
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets' second-round duel in the 2021 NBA playoffs was an enticing one, as it went the distance.
With two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on one side and former MVPs Kevin Durant and James Harden, and superstar Kyrie Irving on the other, the series was a clash of heavyweights. Injuries inhibited the Nets, as Harden missed the first four games, and Irving went down with an ankle injury in Game 4.
Nevertheless, the Nets were able to have two superstars on the court in every game of the series, but that did not faze Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. Though the Nets took a couple of blowout wins to start the series and were seconds away from going up 3-0, the Bucks rallied to take the series to a decider.
Durant had a historic performance in Game 5, getting a 49-point triple-double to give the Nets a huge comeback win. However, Antetokounmpo and Middleton came to the fore in Game 6 to force a deciding match in Brooklyn.
The seventh game was a closely fought affair. The Bucks found themselves with a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation, but Durant tied the game with consecutive jump shots. Durant tied the game with one second left and tried to win it with a triple but stepped on the line.
In overtime, the Nets only scored one basket, but they led by two points before Antetokounmpo levelled proceedings with a hook shot with 1:12 on the clock. Middleton then hit the game-winning basket with a jumper with 40 seconds remaining.
Durant, who played every minute of the game, missed his game-tying attempt as the Nets' season ended at home.
KD ended the game with 48 points (the most in a Game 7), nine rebounds and six assists on the night. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, put up 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, with Middleton adding 23 on a night that included timely shots.
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors - 2016 NBA Finals - Game 7
The 2016 NBA Finals were also an instant classic, where LeBron James managed to guide his team to the NBA championship. The Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 NBA championship was a heroic one. They became the first time in NBA Finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit before beating the record-setting Golden State Warriors (who went 73-9 in the regular season) in the decider.
After tying the series with wins in Oakland in Game 5 and at home in Game 6, with James scoring 41 points on both nights, the Cavs went into the Oracle Arena with a chance to win the NBA championship.
The intensity in Game 7 was unique, and both teams struggled to score big, unlike the trend in the modern NBA. In the fourth quarter, the Golden State Warriors had a four-point lead with less than six minutes left, but LeBron James drew a key foul. He attempted a three and converted every free throw.
Then, James put the Cavs in front with a jump shot. Klay Thompson tied the game at 89-all with 4:39 left on the clock. Both teams struggled to score from that point on, with superstars Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry and LeBron James missing shots.
James then produced one of the most clutch defensive plays in NBA Finals history, producing a huge block in transition to deny Andre Iguodala and keep the scores tied with 1:50 on the clock. Then Irving hit what would eventually be the game-winning three-pointer with 53 seconds left as the Cavs won their first championship in franchise history.
LeBron James was named the Finals MVP for the third time in his career after leading in every key stat during the seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors.
Also Read: 5 reasons that solidify Kevin Durant's status as a modern great regardless of his presence on super teams.
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