NBA
In NBA Finals history, road teams are 4-15 in Game 7
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated7 hours ago on June 20, 2025
Thursday evening was a do-or-die game for the Indiana Pacers. With their backs against the wall, the team fought hard in the first two quarters. By halftime, the Pacers were up 64-42 and never let the Thunder within striking distance.
Ultimately, the Pacers beat the Thunder 108-91 in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals. That score does not indicate the beatdown Oklahoma City took on Thursday night. The series is now tied 3-3 and is heading back to OKC this Sunday. Game 7 will decide the winner of this year’s NBA Finals. In NBA Finals history, road teams are 4-15 in Game 7. Can the Pacers defy those odds and pull off the miraculous series comeback?
Do the Indiana Pacers have another improbable comeback for Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals?
This will be the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history. Home teams have gone 15-4 but the last Game 7 winner did so on the road. pic.twitter.com/vobTcmBpVX
— Kurtis Seaboldt 🎤🏳️🌈 (@KSeaboldt) June 20, 2025
The Indiana Pacers needed a win in Game 6 to keep their season alive and force Game 7 Sunday night. Head coach Rick Carlisle had his team prepared, and Indiana looked like they wanted it more than OKC. Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers played their brand of basketball on Thursday night in Game 6. They were forcing turnovers and turning those into easy transition points. Oklahoma City had eight steals and blocks compared to the Pacers’ 21.
With the win in Game 6, Indiana has forced a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Sunday evening. In the history of the NBA Finals, there have been 20 Game 7’s. Road teams have a 4-15 record. However, the last time a Game 7 was played, the road team walked away victorious. That was the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers who made a 3-1 comeback in the Finals vs. Golden State.
Only 4 road teams have EVER won a Game 7 in the NBA Finals 😳
– 2016 Cavs
– 1978 Bullets
– 1974 Celtics
– 1969 CelticsCan the 2025 Pacers join them? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3noemv2LnT
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) June 20, 2025
Only 24.4% of all Finals in league history have been decided by Game 7. This Pacers vs. Thunder series adds to that statistic. Indiana’s crowd gave the team the edge it needed to win on Thursday. Expect Oklahoma City’s crowd to do the same for the Thunder on Sunday. In the 2025 playoffs, the Thunder have already won a Game 7 at home. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets went seven games vs. OKC in the West semi-finals.
However, the Nuggets lost Game 7 125-93. Don’t expect the Pacers to go down that easily. They’ve been resilient all postseason and are one win away from winning it all. Stealing Game 7 on the road will be the toughest challenge thrown at the Pacers this playoffs. The team has fought incredibly hard to get to this point. Will the Thunder seal the deal at home, or will the Pacers steal it on the road?
