By TIM REYNOLDS
OKLAHOMA CITY — For the twentieth time, there might be a Recreation 7 within the NBA Finals.
Indiana will play at Oklahoma Metropolis on Sunday evening within the closing sport of the season, with the winner getting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Residence groups are 15-4 in Recreation 7 of the finals, however a street staff — Cleveland, over Golden State — gained the latest of these video games in 2016.
A glance inside some numbers surrounding this matchup:
Odds are, no person’s scoring 40
There have been solely two 40-point scoring performances in Recreation 7 of the NBA Finals — and each got here in shedding efforts.
Jerry West scored 42 factors in Recreation 7 of the 1969 collection, however the Los Angeles Lakers misplaced to the Boston Celtics in Invoice Russell’s closing sport. And Elgin Baylor scored 41 factors in Recreation 7 in 1962 — one other Lakers-Celtics matchup — however Boston prevailed in that one as effectively.
Bob Pettit had the third-highest scoring whole in a Recreation 7. He had 39 for the St. Louis Hawks towards the Celtics in 1957 … and Boston gained that sport as effectively.
The best-scoring Recreation 7s in a profitable effort? These can be by Boston’s Tom Heinsohn in that 1957 sport towards St. Louis and Miami’s LeBron James within the 2013 collection towards San Antonio.
Each had 37; Heinsohn’s was a double-overtime sport, James acquired his in regulation.
And no staff would possibly break 100, both
Sure, these are high-scoring groups. Oklahoma Metropolis was No. 4 in factors per sport within the common season (120.5 per sport) and Indiana was No. 7 (117.4). The Thunder are second in that class within the playoffs (115.2), simply forward of No. 3 Indiana (115.1).
In Recreation 7, that may not matter a lot.
No staff has reached 100 factors in Recreation 7 of the NBA Finals since 1988. And even topped 95 factors, for that matter.
The final 5 Recreation 7s:
— 2016, Cleveland 93, Golden State 89— 2013, Miami 95, San Antonio 88— 2010, Los Angeles Lakers 83, Boston 79— 2005, San Antonio 81, Detroit 74— 1994, Houston 90, New York 84
The final finals Recreation 7 to see somebody hit the century mark was when the Lakers beat the Pistons 108-105 in 1988.
Anticipate an in depth one
The typical margin of victory in Recreation 7 of an NBA Finals: 6.9 factors.
Every of the final eight such video games have been determined by single digits. Solely 4 have been double-digit wins: Boston over St. Louis by 19 in 1960, Minneapolis over New York by 17 in 1952, Boston over Milwaukee by 15 in 1974 and New York over the Los Angeles Lakers by 14 in 1970.
The closest Recreation 7 within the finals was Syracuse beating Fort Wayne 92-91 in 1955. That was certainly one of six finals Recreation 7s determined by three factors or much less.
By seed
The Thunder are the twenty second No. 1 seed to play in Recreation 7 of an NBA Finals. Their 21 predecessors on that record are 12-9 within the final sport; seven of these video games have been ones the place each groups entered the playoffs as No. 1 seeds.
The Pacers are the fourth No. 4 seed to make Recreation 7 of the title spherical. Their three predecessors went 1-2 (Boston beat the Lakers in 1969, Seattle misplaced to Washington in 1978 and the Celtics misplaced to the Lakers in 2010).
Recreation 7 expertise
It’ll be the fourth Recreation 7 for Indiana forwards Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Siakam’s groups have gone 2-1 in Recreation 7s, Turner’s have gone 1-2.
Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith is 2-0 within the pair of Recreation 7s during which he has performed, with Indiana profitable at New York final 12 months and Boston beating Milwaukee in 2022. Each of these wins have been within the Jap Convention semifinals.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning MVP, has averaged 27 factors in two earlier Recreation 7s. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 factors in his lone Recreation 7 so far.
No participant on both facet has beforehand been a part of a Recreation 7 within the NBA Finals.
New for some refs, too
The NBA doesn’t announce referee assignments till sport day, so it gained’t be recognized till Sunday morning who the three-person crew is for Recreation 7.
This a lot is for certain: for no less than two of the referees, it’ll be the primary time on the Recreation 7 finals stage.
Scott Foster — who would appear a possible choose this 12 months — labored Recreation 7 of the finals in 2013 alongside Dan Crawford and Monty McCutchen, and Recreation 7 of the title collection in 2010 with Dan Crawford and Joe Crawford.
The newest Recreation 7 of the finals was in 2016 and the crew for that sport was Dan Crawford, McCutchen and Mike Callahan.
Exterior of Foster, no referee on this 12 months’s pool has been on the ground for a Recreation 7 within the NBA Finals.
