Whether it’s the NBA, MLB, or NHL, the words ‘Game 7’ always bring excitement to the fanbases of the sport. A ‘win and you advance, lose and you’re eliminated’ single game brings the feel of the NFL Playoffs. On Sunday, there are two Game 7 matchups taking place in the NBA. First, we have the New York Knicks at home against the Indiana Pacers. Then, we have the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
The winners of those games will advance to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals respectively. How often has the home team prevailed in league history when facing a Game 7?
How Often Do Home Teams Win Game 7 In NBA Playoffs?
Home Team Owns Huge Advantage
When reaching a Game 7, it should easily be understood that the road team will be entering the home arena of a raucous crowd. With so much at stake, fans want to leave the arena happy that their home team has not been eliminated. The numbers seem to back up that there is a fairly large advantage to being the home team in a Game 7. Since 1947, there have been 149 Game 7s in the NBA. According to NBC Sports, the home team owns a 112-37 record (.752) in those Game 7s.
There was just one Game 7 in the opening round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers held serve on their home court by defeating the Orlando Magic 106-94. It was a different story in the 2023 NBA Playoffs which featured three Game 7s. The home team came out on top just once.
The only home team to win a Game 7 last year was the Celtics in the second round against the 76ers. Off the heels of a record-breaking 51-point performance from Jayson Tatum. While the Miami Heat won on the road in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals. Additionally, the Warriors took Game 7 on the road in their first-round matchup with the Kings as Steph Curry had an incredible 50-point performance. The Nuggets did not face the maximum amount of seven games en route to their first NBA championship.
The Two Home Teams Are Favorites On Sunday
In the Pacers/Knicks series, the home team has won each of the first six matchups. That hasn’t been the case out West, as both the Timberwolves and Nuggets are just 1-2 at home. It is understandable though why the defending NBA Champions are considered favorites for their Game 7. Neither home team is seen as a substantial favorite though. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Knicks are listed at -3.5 and the Nuggets at -5 as of this writing.
Amazingly, this will only be Minnesota’s second Game 7 in franchise history. In 2004, the Timberwolves defeated the Sacramento Kings in a Game 7 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Minnesota was the home team in that game.
KG (32 PTS, 21 REB, 5 BLK) balled out on his 28th birthday to send Minnesota to the WCF
Kings vs. Timberwolves, 2004 WC Semifinals Game 7 – 6pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/v3ZcE1L6gA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 19, 2020
Huge rivals through much of the 1990s, the Knicks and Pacers squared off in back-to-back Game 7s in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Playoffs. New York advanced to the NBA Finals with their Game 7 win at home in 1994. It was a different story in 1995, as the Knicks lost to the Pacers again as the home team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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