The biggest Game 7 moments in NBA playoff history

The 2016 Warriors had one of the best seasons ever, finishing the year with a record 73 wins. It seemed they would cruise to a title, especially when they went up 3-1 in the Finals against the Cavaliers. Cleveland fought back, though, winning Game 7 thanks to LeBron James' iconic block and a clutch three from Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics/Lakers rivalry was revived in 2010 after laying mostly dormant since the '80s. They met in the Finals in a defensive-minded series: Only twice in seven games did one of the teams reach 100 points. The Lakers beat the Celtics by four in Game 7, thanks to big nights from Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Metta World Peace.

The Rockets had tough luck in their series against the Warriors, with Chris Paul being forced to miss games due to an injury. Even still, Houston outplayed Golden State in the first two quarters, leading at halftime. The team unraveled in the second half, though, and they infamously missed 27 consecutive threes, letting the Warriors turn a deficit into a nine-point win.

Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving were supposed to be a special trio in Brooklyn, but the three rarely took the floor together. Still, they had a chance in 2021 and pushed the Bucks to seven games. Durant hit a would-be game-winner had his foot not barely been on the line, but the team couldn't hang on after that and faltered in overtime.

The 2008 Celtics had one of the biggest single-season turnarounds ever, going from 24 wins in 2007 to 66 in '08. The road to a championship wasn't easy, though, and the Cavaliers pushed them to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. LeBron James put up 45 points, but the Celtics managed a five-point win thanks in part to 41 points from Paul Pierce.

First-round series aren't usually the biggest deal, but it was an exciting seven games when the Clippers and Suns faced off in 2015. San Antonio were the defending champs while the Clippers were trying to stand out in a stacked conference. Game 7 thrillingly came down to the final moments, when Chris Paul hit a game-winner and the Spurs were unable to answer.

The Pistons won back-to-back titles in 1989 and '90, but it was nearly three consecutive championships. They faced off against the Lakers in the 1988 Finals and were down by 10 entering the fourth quarter. They couldn't quite complete the comeback, losing 108-105, with a 36-point triple-double from James Worthy making things challenging.

In the West, it was hard to beat the Spurs and Mavericks in the 2000s, and their 2006 series was an all-time great. It went down to the very end, with Game 7 going into overtime. Dirk Nowitzki delivered a mid-range masterpiece, putting up 37 points (with no made threes) while Jason Terry chipped in with 27.

This series was a defensive-minded grind: Only once did either team reach 100 points in a game. In Game 7, the Pistons only scored above 18 points in one quarter, and just 35 total points in the second half. The Spurs, meanwhile, didn't score a ton more, winning the game 81-74, but were buoyed by 25 and 23 points from Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili, respectively.

Miami was vying for a second-straight championship in 2013, but the Pacers gave them a scare in the Eastern Conference Finals. When it came time for Game 7, though, the Heat confidently dismissed Indiana 99-76. LeBron dominated with 32 points and 8 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade chipped in with 21 points and 9 boards.

The Thunder were one of the great teams of the 2010s that never got over the championship hump, but they had a good shot in 2016 when they pushed the Warriors to seven games in the conference finals. They were up 3-1, even, but the Warriors fired off three straight victories to win the series. The Warriors dominated in the second half of Game 7` on the back of 36 total points from Steph Curry.

After losing Gordon Hayward in the first few minutes of his first game back (after suffering a gruesome leg injury in Boston's season-opener) and Kyrie Irving sitting out the postseason due to injury, the Celtics had an uphill battle in the playoffs. They made it all the way to the conference finals against the Cavs, even pushing the series to seven games. Experience ultimately won out, however, and LeBron's 35-point near-triple-double in Game 7 helped decide the series.

Beyond Allen Iverson, the 2001 Sixers weren't awesome, but he carried them to the Finals anyway. It wasn't easy, as they endured two seven-game series along the way, including in the second round against the Raptors. The deciding game was as close as possible, with Philly winning 88-87.

In the conference finals, the Celtics went down 3-1, but won the next two games to force Game 7. Boston ended up just barely getting by, winning by a single point, 91-90. The team had a number of key contributors that game, led by Larry Bird and his 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.

The Suns lost to the Rockets in Game 7, but it certainly wasn't Kevin Johnson's fault. In the 115-114 loss, he put up a staggering 45 points. Still, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler had 29 apiece and would go on to win it all that year.

Trae Young went toe-to-toe with Joel Embiid all series in 2021, with both players putting up about 30 a night in seven games. Philadelpha was the top seed in the conference, but the scrappy Hawks pulled off the upset. The final game, which featured a whopping 20 lead changes, was decided by just 7 points, and while Trae Young struggled with his shot, going 5 for 23 from the field, he contributed by hitting free throws and dishing out 10 assists.

Isaiah Thomas was perhaps the NBA's biggest surprise in 2017, averaging nearly 30 points a game and emerging as one of the most clutch players in the league. That postseason featured a particularly intense match-up with the Wizards, which came down to a close Game 7. Thomas came through with 29 points and 12 assists in a close 115-105 win.

The Wizards don't have a storied history of winning, but they did claim one championship in 1978 as the Bullets. It took them seven games to top the SuperSonics and it was a close one. Seattle's Marvin Webster poured in 27 points and Jack Sikma and Fred Brown added 21 each, but Washington's balanced attack helped them come away with the 105-99 win in the deciding contest.

The Kings/Lakers series from 2002 is remembered as one of the most controversial in NBA history. Sacramento was one of the hottest teams in the league, but Game 6 was plagued by accusations of officiating favoring Los Angeles. They still had a shot in Game 7 but couldn't overcome 30-point performances from both Shaq and Kobe in an overtime loss.

The Heat and Pacers had a back-and-forth series in the 2013 postseason, with everything coming down to the final game. There, LeBron James and Miami blew Indiana out of the water, carried by 32 points from LeBron and an additional 21 from Dwyane Wade. The Heat made their third straight Finals and managed to win another title.