Game seven (NBA)

A game seven is name of the final game of a best-of-seven series in the NBA's postseason.

Since 2003, eighteen best-of-seven series are played in each season's playoffs (eight are played in the first round; eight are played in the second round; one is played in the third round, the NBA Conference Finals; and one is played for the league championship, the NBA Finals).

Since the 1984 NBA Playoffs, sixteen total teams take part in each season's playoffs. When a team is defeated (by losing four games either consecutively or non-consecutively) in a best-of-seven series, that team is eliminated from the playoffs. Most of the time, a best-of-seven series will end in five or six games and only sometimes will a series reach the maximum of seven games.

Whether or not a game seven is necessary can never be known until the outcome of game six (assuming a series reaches a sixth contest) is determined. In other words, game seven is the only game in a best-of-seven series that can never be guaranteed more than one game in advance.

Game seven is historically played in the arena or venue of the team holding home-court advantage for the series.

Game seven facts

* There have been 100 total NBA game sevens played; 20 of them were won by the road team.
* There have been twelve playoff seasons in which no game sevens were played: 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1999.
* There are two current franchises that have never played in a game seven: Charlotte Bobcats (still has to qualify in the playoffs) and Memphis Grizzlies (got swept in all of their playoffs appearances).
* Since a game seven can only be played in a best-of-seven series, the different playoff stages didn't employ a game seven at all times except for the NBA Finals which is always in a best-of-seven series format.
**Division Finals: 1947-1948, 1958-1969
**Conference Finals: 1970-present
***Divisions were upgraded into conferences at the start of the 1969-70 NBA season.
**Conference Semifinals: 1975-present
**First Round: 2003-present
* The 1994 postseason held the record for most game sevens played, with a total of five. 1979, 1988, 2005, and 2006 all had a total of four game sevens played.

Key

ee also

*Game seven

References

General
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=GAMESEVENROADWINNERS&prov=st&type=lgns "All-Time Game Seven Road Winners"] from Yahoo! Sports

Specific