That's what LeBron James tweeted minutes before the Thunder and Nuggets played Game 7 of the 2025 Western Conference Semifinals to find out which team will get to play the Timberwolves. That is also the phrase Nuggets' former coach Michael Malone said before his team lost Game 7 of the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals to the Timberwolves.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, a rematch and shot at redemption would have to wait another year. They ended up losing this Game 7 by
32 POINTS!
In honor of OKC's convincing victory and the effort from Denver's Aaron Gordon, who played the game with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the most memorable Game 7 performances of the past. We can start by revisiting arguably the greatest and funniest quote about a Game 7.
KG WENT TO WAR WITH GRENADES AND A MISSILE LAUNCHER
"It's Game 7, man. That's it. It's for all the marbles," Garnett said. "Sitting in the house, I'm loading up the pump. I'm loading up the Uzi. I got a couple M-16s, a couple 9. I got a couple joints with some silencers on them. I'm just loading clips, a couple grenades. I got a missile launcher. I'm ready for war."
That incredible quote came from Kevin Garnett after a Game 6 loss to the Kings in the 2004 WCSF. A game most remembered for KG getting punched by Anthony Peeler, who received a two-game suspension for the hit.
"It was retaliation after he hit me with an elbow," Peeler said. "It's always the guy that responds that is theĀ one that gets suspended or ejected. So if I get suspended orĀ ejected, I think that he should as well."
Unfortunately for the Kings, the league just hit KG with a $7,500 fine. So Peeler had to watch from the bench while KG unloaded all of his weapons and dropped 32 points (15 in the 4th), 21 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 steals in an 83-80 Game 7 win.
MOST POINTS EVER IN A GAME 7
EVERY POINT From Jayson Tatumās EPIC 51-PT Game 7 Performance #PLAYOFFMODE
PLAYER: Jayson Tatum
DATE:
May 14th, 2023
STATS:
51 PTS, 13 REB, 6 3PT, 5 AST (60% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 STARS
The Celtics are currently trying to get to a Game 7 against the Knicks without the help of superstar Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles during a 42-point performance in Game 4. Due to his shooting in the first few games of the series, Tatum was getting destroyed by critics and social media. One critique I kept seeing was the NBA Champion didn't have "Playoff moments."
On May 14th of 2023, he scored the most ever points in a Game 7: 51 in a 112-88 win over the 76ers. That's a moment!
Tatum had 25 of his 51 in the first half and then outscored the entire 76ers team 17-10 in the third quarter.
āJT just got it going and get out of that manās way," Jaylen Brown said. "He got it rolling, and thereās nothing they could do to stop him.ā
The 10 third-quarter points by the 76ers were tied for the fewest in a Game 7 quarter in the shot clock era.
THE FIRST 50-POINT GAME 7
STEPH LIGHTS THE BEAM IN KINGS ARENA! MAKES MOCKERY OF THEM! HAHA! LOL!
PLAYER: Steph Curry
DATE:
April 30th, 2023
STATS:
50 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 7 3PT (53% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 STARS
Steph Curry had the record for most points in Game 7 for just a few weeks before Tatum broke it. The good news is Steph can still say his Playoff career-high of 50 points is the first 50-point Game 7 ever.
This performance happened in the 2023 WCSF against the Kings. He made 7 threes, including 1 Mike Breen "Bang!", but most of his memorable shots in this game came on floaters and layups after some crafty dribbling.
āWhat an incredible performance," Klay Thompson said. "This is a Game 7 Iāll forever remember as the Steph Curry game.ā
The best moment from this game came after a foul. Curry pointed at the Sacramento "Light The Beam" button and pretended to smash it.
KD AND HIS BIG FOOT
ā« Kevin Durantās 48 PTS not enough for Nets in Game 7 vs. Bucks āŖ
PLAYER: Kevin Durant
DATE:
June 19th, 2021
STATS:
48 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 4 3PT (47% FG) in 53 MINS
CLUTCH: 2/4 STARS
If KD's foot was an inch longer or his shot that forced OT were 23 feet, 9 inches instead of 23 feet, 8 inches, I would have given him a 4 out of 4 stars. I'm only giving him a 2 out of 4 because he missed all 6 shots in the overtime session of the loss.
āBut my big ass foot stepped on the line,ā KD said. āI just saw how close I was to ending their season with that shot.ā
It's understandable why he ran out of gas. He played 53 minutes (5th most in a Game 7) and scored 48 (on 36 shots) of the 111 points scored by the Nets, who only got 22 points (5/17 FG) from James Harden and a donut from the entire bench.
As for the Bucks, they got 40 points (15/24 FG) and 13 boards from Giannis' 50 minutes.
NIQUE VS BIRD
The Duel: Bird vs Wilkins - 4th Quarter of 1988 ECSF Game 7
PLAYER: Dominique Wilkins | Larry Bird
DATE:
May 22nd, 1988
STATS:
47 PTS (58% FG) | 34 PTS (63% FG)
CLUTCH: 3/4 STARS | 4/4 STARS
Two players deserve recognition from this Game 7.
Dominique Wilkins deserves it for scoring a game-high 47 points, which was the most ever in a Game 7 until KD's big foot game. Larry Bird deserves it for scoring the most when it counted the most.
"We were running down the court, Kevin Willis reached across me and said, 'Don't let that son of a gun score anymore, man,'"Ā Wilkins said. "I'm like, 'What are you doing?' Bird's eyes got like this big. I knew it was going to be on then. It just woke him up. That's where the great shootout began."
Larry Legend woke up and scored 20 of his 34 points in the final quarter. Nique had an impressive 16 during the 4th-quarter duel, but it wasn't enough. Boston came away with the two-point victory.
āIt was like two gunfighters waiting to blink,ā Kevin McHale said. āThere was one stretch that was as pure a form of basketball as youāre ever going to see.ā
THE SERGEANT VS THE BIG 0
Sam Jones Game Winner in Game 7 of 1962 ECF
PLAYER: Sam Jones
DATE:
April 10th, 1963
STATS:
47 PTS (67% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 STARS
The late, great Sam Jones rarely gets mentioned when talking about NBA legends, but he's a 10 x Champion and a member of the original NBA 50 team. And on April 10th, 1963, he outdueled Oscar Robertson in a Game 7 victory at the Boston Garden.
The original triple-double legend had 43 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists while Jones finished with a game-high 47 points on 18-of-27 shooting and 7 boards.
Since I can't find any footage from this game, I decided to share his game-winning shot in Game 7 of the 1962 Eastern Conference Finals. His most well-known game-winner came against the Lakers in Game 4 of the 1969 NBA Finals.
KEVIN JOHNSON & THE KISS OF DEATH
Kevin Johnson Takes Over For Slumping Barkley, Drops 46 Pts x 10 Asts In GM7 vs Rockets | 1995 WCSF
PLAYER: Kevin Johnson
DATE:
May 20th, 1995
STATS:
46 PTS, 10 AST, 1 TO (46% FG)
CLUTCH: 3/4 STARS
Kevin Johnson was the hero of this game until the final 7.1 seconds. That's when Mario Elie delivered the "Kiss of Death" after knocking down a game-winning three to eliminate the Suns on their home court from the 1995 Playoffs.
The victory was the 5th time in NBA history that a road team won Game 7, and it was the first time I ever saw a team blow a 3-1 lead in the Playoffs.
As I mentioned, the star of this game before the kiss was Mayor Kevin Johnson, who picked up the scoring slack from Charles Barkley (18 PTS, 7 TO) and Thunder Dan (6 PTS, 1/7 FG) and finished with game-highs of 46 points (21/22 FT) and 10 assists (1 TO).
The Clutch City Rockets went on to win the second of back-to-back titles, and Barkley took his talents to Houston less than 2 years later.
BARKLEY'S BEST GAME
Charles Barkley 1993 Playoffs: 44pts & 24rebs, Gm 7 vs. Sonics
PLAYER: Charles Barkley
DATE:
June 5th, 1993
STATS:
44 PTS, 24 REB (60% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 Stars
Barkley was much better and clutch in Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference Finals. The 1993 MVP even considers it his best game, coming from a guy who once scored 27 of his 56 points in the 1st quarter of a Playoff game.
After guaranteeing victory, the Round Mound of Rebound grabbed a ridiculous 24 boards (10 offensive) to go with a game-high 44 points. 19 of those 44 came from the charity stripe, where the Suns lived during this controversial game.
There were 100 free-throw attempts in this game. The Suns made 57 of their 64 attempts and the Sonics made 28 of 36.
After the game, Barkley was asked about his performance and accolades throughout the season. He responded, "All that stuff is great, but I came to Phoenix for one reason, and it's not to make the Finals."
As you know, MJ made sure that one reason didn't happen.
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THE TRUTH OUTDUELS THE KING
Paul Pierce vs LeBron James Full Highlights 2008 ECSF G7 Cavaliers at Celtics - Must Watch!
PLAYER: Paul Pierce
DATE:
May 18th, 1988
STATS:
41 PTS, 5 AST (57% FG)
CLUTCH: 3/4 ST
Have you ever seen that
2003 Nike Commercial
that shows Paul Pierce and Jermaine O'Neal going at it in a pick-up game? It starts as a 5-on-5 game and then turns into a 1-on-1 game with the other 8 players watching from the sideline.
Paul Pierce and a 23-year-old LeBron recreated that ad during Game 7 of the 2008 ECSF. Pierce outscored Bron 26-23 in the first half, where no other player scored more than six points.
"I had it going, LeBron had it going, and neither of us wanted our teams to lose," Pierce said. "Two heavyweights going at it and throwing body blows."
Bron ended up outscoring Pierce 45-41 by the end of the game but it was Pierce that came out victorious and had the most clutch play of the game: a floor dive to get a loose ball from LeBron.
"Tonight was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out the way," Kevin Garnett said in the postgame conference. "I don't need y'all ask me no questions. That was the game plan. That's what we did."
LeBron on the loss: "We both tried to will our team to victory and just like Dominique Wilkins, I ended up on the short end and the Celtics won again."
I remember feeling bad for LeBron after this game. Those feelings are long gone, considering all of the success since and the...
GREATEST GAME 7 PERFORMANCE EVER?
LeBron James 37 points vs Spurs (Full Highlights 2013 NBA Finals GM7) į““į“°
PLAYER: LeBron James
DATE:
2013 or 2016
STATS:
37 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST (52% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 STARS
How great is LeBron? So great that if I say he had the "greatest Game 7 performance ever," some people will think of one NBA Finals with a specific team, while others will think of another NBA Finals with a different team.
I prefer his 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 performance with the Miami Heat against the Spurs in 2013 over his Game 7 with the Cavs against the Warriors in 2016. That's saying a lot considering he had 27 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds, and one of the most iconic plays in Playoff history (the block on Iguodala) to complete a 3-1 comeback against the 73-win Warriors. After saying that sentence, I might have to change my mind.
In the championship-winning game against the Spurs, LeBron had 37 of the team's 95 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, and almost as many threes as the entire Spurs (5 to 6). He also assisted or scored on 30 of the team's 49 2nd-half points and hit a dagger over Kawhi Leonard with 28 seconds left in regulation.
That dagger isn't technically a "game-winner," but I think it's one of the most clutch shots in Finals history.
LeBron James Posts Triple-Double in 2016 NBA Finals Game 7 Win
I flipped another quarter, and I'm back with the 2016 performance that made LeBron say, "That one right there made me the greatest player of all time."
The win ended a 52-year drought for his hometown, and came against a team that many (not me) called the "Greatest Team Ever."
THE FIRST GAME 7 BUZZER BEATER
Final 1:50 WILD ENDING 76ers vs Raptors Eastern Conference Semi-Finals 2019 šØš
PLAYER: Kawhi Leonard
DATE:
2016
STATS:
36 PTS, 16 REB, 10 AST (68% FG)
CLUTCH: 3/4 STARS
How can Kawhi end up with 3 out of 4 Clutch stars when he made the only game-winning buzzer beater in Game 7 history?
He missed 20 of his 30 field goal attempts in the game's first three quarters. Kawhi also missed a free throw with 10 seconds left in regulation, which allowed Jimmy Butler to tie the game with 4.2 seconds.
He then made up for all of the misses by knocking down the first Game 7 buzzer beater in NBA history in the most dramatic way possible.
"It's off to Leonard, defended by Simmons. Is this the dagger? (bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce) OHHH!!!! Game! Series! Toronto has won!"
It's the only Championship in the Toronto franchise, and it came courtesy of the 1-year rental of The Klaw.
BIG GAME GAMES VS THE BAD BOYS
James Worthy ABUSES Dennis Rodman x The Pistons In an Epic NBA Finals Game 7 Performance
PLAYER: James Worthy
DATE:
June 21st, 1988
STATS:
36 PTS, 16 REB, 10 AST (68% FG)
CLUTCH: 4/4 STARS
LeBron's triple-double in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals was just the third one in the history of the NBA. The first belonged to Jerry West in 1969, and the second was in 1988, when Big Game James put up 36 points, 16 boards, and 10 assists against the Bad Boy Pistons. Surprisingly, the triple-double was also the first of Worthy's Hall of Fame career.
Despite a historic triple-double in the Championship-winning game, the most praised performance in the series came from an opposing player in a loss. Isaiah Thomas scored an NBA-record 25 points in the third quarter of Game 6 ... on a sprained ankle! He finished with 43 points and 8 assists, and I still believe the Pistons would have won Game 7 if it weren't for Thomas' injury.
LUKA EMBARASSES THE SUNS
Luka Doncic Drops 27 PTS In 1st Half Of Game 7 š„š„
Or when Luka and the 64-win Suns scored the same amount of 1st half points in a Game 7?
And that hilarious meme of Luka looking at Devin Booker when the Suns had a 70-31 lead?
If you said yes to these, you probably remember when Luka scored 27 1st-half points and embarrassed a shell-shocked Suns team in Game 7 of the 2022 WCSF.
'We played all season to be in this situation." Chris Paul said. "It didn't work out for us.''
That's an understatement. Not only did the Suns not have an answer for Luka, Spencer Dinwiddie scored 30 on 11-of-15 shooting off the bench, and Brunson had 24 on 11-of-19 shooting. They also only got 5 points and 4 rebounds from Deandre Ayton and 6 points from Mikal Bridges, who they traded during the following season in a deal for Kevin Durant.
The Suns did manage to put up 40 points in the 4th quarter to only lose by 33.
BILL RUSSELL'S FINAL NBA GAME
Bill Russell Ends Amazing Career by Winning 11th Championship in 1969
PLAYER: Bill Russell
DATE:
May 5th, 1969
STATS:
6 PTS, 21 REB, 6 AST (29% FG)
CLUTCH: 3/4 STARS
The last game I'm going to mention is the last game of Bill Russell's career. Can you think of a better way of ending a career than being a Boston Celtic and winning your 11th NBA Championship (in 13 seasons) by beating the Lakers and your player rival (Wilt Chamberlain) in a Game 7?
You might be thinking 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists doesn't sound that special. I forgot to mention that Russell was also the head coach of the Celtics. And when he found out before the game that the Lakers had balloons ready to be dropped from the rafters, he told the team, "There was no way those balloons would fall."
This Finals is also known for being the only one in NBA history where a player on the losing team (Jerry West) won the Finals MVP award.
A month after his 11th Championship, Russell shocked the world by announcing his retirement, even though he had another year on his contract.
Bill Russell via
Sports Illustrated
Believe me, I wouldn't mind having all that money. But I'm not going to play basketball for money. I've been paid to play, of course, but I played for a lot of other reasons, too.
I played because I enjoyed itābut there's more to it than that. I played because I was dedicated to being the best and was part of a team, and I dedicated myself to making that team the best. To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goalāalternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action.
I can tell you one thing for sureāI'm going to play a little golf. I'm going to become the hottest 6'9" black left-handed 16-handicap golfer to come along in years."
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WHAT ABOUT?
There are plenty of other great Game 7 performances that deserve some recognition. I'm sure many will say more recognition than the ones I featured. Here are a few.
(1992 ECSF) MJ"s 42 PTS, 3 BLK, 2 STL vs the Knicks
(2000 WCF) Kobe's 25 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST (oop to Shaq) vs the Blazers
(2001 ECF) Iverson's 44 PTS, 7 AST, 6 REB vs the Bucks
(2005 Finals) Manu Ginobili 23 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST vs the Pistons
(2006 WCSF) Dirk's 37 PTS, 15 REB, clutch block on Tim Duncan vs the Spurs
(2010 Finals) Kobe's 23 PTS & 15 REB vs the Celtics
(2016 WCF) Steph Curry's 36 PTS, 8 AST vs the Thunder
(2021 ECSF) Giannis' 40 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST vs the Nets
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