It’s all about the numbers.
In the 1998 film “Something About Mary,” Harland Williams’ Hitchhiker character does his best to explain to Ben Stiller’s character named Ted that he’s come up with a brilliant idea of having “Seven-Minute Abs” for a workout. Stiller then says it will be great, until someone comes up with a six-minute workout.
“No! No, no, not six! I said seven,” Williams says, clearly agitated. “Nobody’s coming up with six. Who works out in 6 minutes? You won’t even get your heart goin, not even a mouse on a wheel. Seven is the key number here. Think about it. 7-Elevens. Seven dwarves. Seven, man, that’s the number.”
Yep, seven is the number in sports as well. Besides saying the name of your favorite team and then adding the word “win”, there is no better two words in sports than the following …
Game. Seven. Thankfully, we get another one on Sunday night between the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Indiana Pacers.
Although one might think Game 7’s for all the marbles happens a ton, they are actually pretty rare. Since I was born in 1977, the three major sports that can have a Game 7 (imagine if the Super Bowl was best of 7) hockey, NBA basketball and Major League Baseball have featured a combined 32 Game Seven’s for a title. There have been 14 in baseball, 10 in hockey and eight in the NBA.
Oddly enough, Michael Jordan never played in a Game 7, his series always went five games or fewer, with five of them going six games. Steph Curry has only played in one Game 7 and lost. LeBron James has played in two and won each of them. Wayne Gretzky played in one, and won it. Barry Bonds played on one and lost it. Kobe Bryant played in one and won it. Kirby Puckett played in two and won two.
So since journalists love to make lists like Metallica appreciates loud volumes, here’s a top 15 Game 7’s since the year I was born — 1977. Counting from 15 down to 1.
15. Oilers over Flyers in 1987 (NHL)
The game’s best player — Wayne Gretzky — playing in his only Game 7 ever for the finals. The Oiler had been up 3-1 in the series when Philadelphia fought back to tie the series and eventually take an early lead in Game 7. With the way Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall was playing (he’d eventually get a record 40 Game 7 saves in the contest) that could have been enough.
However, Mark Messier tied the game before Jari Kurri scored 14:59 into the second period to put Edmonton ahead 2-1. Glenn Anderson scored an insurance goal with 2:24 remaining in the third period to seal the Oilers’ third championship in four years.
14. Mets over Red Sox in 1986 (MLB)
This one holds a special place in my heart, because it was one of the first games I really remember watching with my dad on TV. Game 6 was the one everyone remembers more, but many forget that Boston held a 3-0 lead about midway through Game 7 and that Bruce Hurst was cruising.
I remember a Mets fan interrupting the game by flying into Shea Stadium with a parachute with a banner reading, “Let’s Go Mets.” Soon after, Keith Hernandez had a key double up the alley, Ray Knight hit a home run and then Darryl Strawberry hit a home and took a longer time to round the bases than it takes to get something done at the DMV.
The Mets haven’t won a World Series since. The Red Sox have won four.
13. Spurs over Pistons in 2005 (NBA)
There hadn’t been a Game 7 for 11 years at this point in the championship, and the then-defending champion Pistons playing in San Antonio against Tim Duncan looked great on paper. It was a defensive game, with the Spurs winning 81-74. This was the third of five titles for Duncan and the first without David Robinson, his twin tower partner for years.
12. Rockets over the Knicks in 1994 (NBA)
For the second time in their careers, big-time centers Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon met up for a title, about 10 years after Ewing’s Georgetown team beat the University of Houston in a NCAA bout. This time the game went to Olajuwon and the Rockets in their first of two-straight championships.
The game is known for New York’s stellar guard John Starks struggling to hit a shot, where he went 2-18 for the field and 0-11 from 3-point range.
11. Penguins over Red Wings in 2009 (NHL)
The Penguins turned the table on Detroit in 2009, avenging a 2008 finals loss. It was the first title for Sidney Crosby, considered possibly the best player in the game at that time.
However, it was Max Talbot who was the star player in this title game, as he scored both goals in a 2-1 win on the road to shock the Red Wings, who had already won two titles during the decade and four since 1997.
10. Lakers over Celtics in 2010 (NBA)
Kobe Bryant’s revenge. After getting destroyed by the Celtics in the 2008 Finals, Kobe captured his fifth title in 2010 although he struggled in the game from the field. His 11 of 15 free throws, however, were crucial.
After trailing by six at the half, the Lakers came back thanks to a key 3-pointer by Metta World Peace and pressure free throws by Sasha Vujačić.
9. Rangers over Canucks in 1994 (NHL)
Although the Knicks lost a Game 7 in June of 1994, Mark Messier came through for the Rangers to defeat Vancouver at Madison Square Garden. It was the Rangers first title in 50 years.
The Rangers took a 2-0 lead after one period on goals by Brian Leetch and Adam Graves and then got some more breathing room when Messier scored on a power-play goal to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead. New York held on to win 3-2.
8. Marlins over Indians in 1997 (MLB)
This series went back and forth and were polar opposites as far as franchises go. Key word being polar.
The Indians hosted home games in temperatures that would eventually see snow (yes, snow) while the games in Miami were played in scorching heat.
In the end, it was the Marlins, in just their fifth year of existence, beating the Indians in the bottom of the 11th inning to take the title on Edgar Renteria’s single off Charles Nagy up the middle.
7. Cleveland Cavs over the Warriors in 2016 (NBA)
For four straight years, the Warriors and Cavs played in the finals. Golden State fans loved the 2015, 2017 and 2018 years, but 2016 is one they’d like to forget.
However, it was basically the only competitive one of the four series. And let’s face it, it eventually would bring Kevin Durant to the team.
Game 7 of this series went down to the wire, but it wasn’t James or Curry that would be remembered, but instead Kyrie Irving, whose late 3-pointer gave Cleveland a win that shocked the globe. Which is surprisingly, something that Irving doesn’t understand.
6. Giants over Royals in 2014 (MLB)
This series between the Giants and Royals went back and forth, but it was Madison Bumgarner who stood out.
With a runner on third and the Giants up a run in the bottom of the ninth, Bumgarner cut through the suspense by getting Salvador Perez to pop out to Pablo Sandoval in foul territory to end the game and complete San Francisco’s third title in five years.
The Royals would win the championship the next year, while the Giants have yet to run to the ultimate stage.
5. Celtics over Lakers in 1984 (NBA)
About four years earlier, the NBA Finals were broadcast on a tape delay. Imagine that now, the finals shown a few hours later and not live.
Thankfully, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the league and five years after they met in a title game in college, they squared up for all the marbles at the Boston Garden.
The game stayed close until the Celtics ran away with it in the fourth quarter to win the championship. Bird would go on to win one more, while Magic would add three more in the next four years.
4. Lakers over Pistons in 1988 (NBA)
This one holds a special place in my heart as I was a kid living in L.A. at the time and loved this Lakers team. It was basically the last hurrah for Showtime, as the Pistons would win the next two titles.
The Lakers trailed in the series 3-2, but came back thanks to a great finals performance from James Worthy, who would earn his nickname, “Big Game James.”
The Lakers wouldn’t win another title for 12 years.
3. Arizona over the Yankees in 2001 (MLB)
Everyone believes, and rightfully so, that Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of all time in baseball. However, he’s had his poor moments as well.
Rivera couldn’t hold on to a Yankees lead in a year where oddly, it seemed everyone was actually rooting for them due to the tragedy of 9/11. In the bottom of the ninth, however, it was Luis Gonzalez who hit a flair to centerfield against a drawn-in infield to capture the first, and only, title for the Diamondbacks.
2. Twins over Braves in 1991 (MLB)
The epic pitching duel between John Smoltz and his boyhood idol — Jack Morris.
Morris was a little better, getting a key double play late in the game that resulted in this weird, odd windmill hand gesture. I’ve tried to imitate it a few times, but never quite get it right. It’s best to imagine Morris yelling, “Yeah” like Howard Dean when it’s pulled off.
The other hero of the game was Gene Larkin, who hit a ball deep enough into left field that would fall for a single and drive home Dan Gladden with the winning run.
1. Chicago Cubs over Cleveland Indians in 2016 (MLB)
I mean, this game had everything. A team that hadn’t won a title in 108 years against a team that hadn’t won a title in 68 years. Something had to give.
Or did it?
After Cleveland’s Rajai Davis homer tied the contest, the game went into a rain delay. I started thinking of W.P. Kinsella’s “Iowa Baseball Confederacy” and wondered, “Maybe this game will never end.”
Thankfully for Chicago fans it did. After taking the lead in extra innings, a groundball was hit to third baseman Kris Bryant, who seemed to almost be laughing while he made the play and threw to Anthony Rizzo for the final out. Cub fans everywhere rejoiced, while Cleveland fans once again just missed out in a Game 7.
