Best Two Words In Sports: Game 7
image courtesy of NBA.com
So we have a Game 7 in the NBA finals the first in the last 9 years and only the 5th in the last 30 years, whether you're watching or not this is history in the making as these two small market teams are changing the game of basketball and the NBA as we know it. They prove that it does not matter if you spend all the money on a team if they're not just playing basketball.
Despite OKC not stepping up to the plate on Game 6 they have the chance to win it on their home court doesn't mean that the Pacers are backing down the Pacers are resilient, the Pacers do not quit, and the Pacers are never fully out of the game.
Sunday's Game 7 carries profound statistical and historical implications for both franchises. A Thunder victory would complete one of the most statistically dominant seasons in NBA history, as they would join an elite group of teams to win 68+ regular season games and capture the championship. Gilgeous-Alexander would become the first player in NBA history to claim regular season MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP, and NBA Finals MVP in the same season.
image courtesy of the Ringer.com
Conversely, a Pacers victory would represent one of the most statistically improbable championship runs in modern NBA history. Indiana would tie the 2004 Detroit Pistons as the largest Finals underdog to win a championship in the past 40 years, having entered the playoffs with +8000 odds. Such an outcome would validate the statistical model that emphasizes team chemistry and playoff experience over regular season dominance.
The Finals MVP race remains statistically compelling, with Gilgeous-Alexander maintaining significant odds despite his eight-turnover performance in Game 6. Historical precedent suggests that the winning team's best player typically claims the award, though exceptional individual performances from losing players have occasionally been recognized, as in Jerry West's 1969 selection. Jerry West holds the Game 7 scoring record (42 points), and there’s a chance this could be broken by Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam, or Jalen Williams. And Pacers coach Rick Carlisle could become only the fourth coach to win titles with multiple teams.
The NBA season ends tonight with the 2025 NBA Finals Game 7 at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC presented by YouTube TV.