The Worst Game 7's Of All-Time
Game 7 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City is sure to feature some fireworks, but it could also be a dud like some of these series-clinchers.
They say that the two best words in the English language are "Game Seven," and with Sunday night's winner-take-all showdown between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, chances are we are in for one hell of a show.
But not all Game 7s are heart-stopping thrillers.
For every Heat vs. Spurs in 2013 or Red Wings vs. Penguins in 2009, we've had our fair share of duds, too.
I don't want this to yuck anyone's yum, but rather, I wanted to give a cautionary tale in case tonight's game turns out to be an anti-climactic conclusion to an otherwise great series.
Without any more preamble, let's wade through some trash.
Mavs vs. Suns (2022 Western Conference Semi-Finals)
A game so bad it literally spawned a meme, the 2022 Western Conference Semi-Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns featured plenty of blowouts, but by the time Game 7 rolled around, fans were ready to see two teams giving it everything they had to advance to the next round.
What they got was a blowout almost from the opening whistle and a "vintage" Chris Paul playoff performance.
This game was never close and should serve as a reminder that just because the series goes to a decisive game, it doesn't mean both teams will be locked in.
Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers (2025 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals)
Accuse me of decency bias all you want, but anytime a team gets booed in its home arena in the middle of a Game 7, you know you're witnessing a disastrous scenario.
The Leafs have been known to blow their fair share of playoff leads, but, to their credit, the Game 7's have usually been entertaining, albeit in heartbreaking fashion for their fans.
This one was over pretty much from the jump.
The Panthers dominated this game so much this was basically the beginning of the end for Toronto's "Core Four."
Hawks vs. Heat (2009 Eastern Conference First Round)
To be fair to this particular Game 7, every single one of those box scores makes me want to vomit.
Usually, the four-five matchup in the first round represents an even series between two similarly matched teams, and in theory, this series did go seven games, but those scores tell you everything you need to know, as each franchise took turns bashing in the other's skulls.
Game 7 wasn't just a blowout, it was a low-scoring slog that represented all the worst parts of basketball in the mid-to-late 2000's.
No one remembers this game, or series for that matter, and there's a very good reason for that: it sucked!
Astros vs. Dodgers (2017 World Series)
When you think of World Series Game 7s, you probably remember the 2001 thriller between the Yankees and Diamondbacks, or maybe you reminisce on the 2016 affair between the Cubs and Indians that featured both a rain delay and extra innings.
The 2017 edition of the Fall Classic was a far cry from either of those gems.
Don't let the box score fool you. The Astros were up by five runs by the second inning and never looked back.
The game wasn't terrible by any means, but when juxtaposed against some of the other thrillers from earlier in this series, what was shaping up to be an all-time firework display turned out to be a wet fart.
Did I miss any Game 7 blowouts? Let me know what should be added to the list by emailing me at austin.perry@outkick.com.