List of every NBA Finals series to go seven games
By Elaine Blum
Even if your team is not playing in the NBA Finals, it offers a chance to watch some exciting basketball games. This year, we will see the Boston Celtics facing either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves. Will the Celtics finally hang a banner with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown? Or will the West take the championship again?
No matter which Western Conference team moves on, this promises to be an exciting series. Last year's finals were over rather quickly, as the Miami Heat only won one game against the Denver Nuggets. Maybe this time around, we will get a longer series.
How many NBA Finals series have gone to seven games so far?
List of every NBA Finals series to go seven games
2015-16: The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 4-3
2012-13: The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-3
2009-10: The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 4-3
2004-05: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Detroit Pistons 4-3
1993-94: The Houston Rockets defeated the New York Knicks 4-3
1987-88: The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons 4-3
1983-84: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1977-78: The Washington Bullets defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
1973-74: The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
1969-70: The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1968-69: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1965-66: The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1961-62: The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1959-60: The Boston Celtics beat the St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1956-57: The Boston Celtics defeated the St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1954-55: The Syracuse Nationals defeated the Ft. Wayne Pistons 4-3
1953-54: The Minneapolis Lakers beat the Syracuse Nationals 4-3
1950-51: The Rochester Royals defeated the New York Knicks 4-3
So far, 18 NBA Finals series have gone to seven games. The last time a series came close to going seven games was in 2021-22 when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in six games.
How many seven-game series have the Orlando Magic been part of?
The Orlando Magic have never played in a seven-game series in the NBA Finals. Orlando has played in two finals so far, in 2009 and 1995. Neither series went on for very long, as the Magic were swept by the Rockets in 1995 and only won one game in 2009.
Outside the finals, the Magic have played in a few seven-game series, however. Most recently, in this year's playoffs, the young Magic took the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games. Before that, Orlando beat the Boston Celtics 4-3 in the second round of the 2009 playoffs. In 2003, the Magic lost to the Detroit Pistons in seven games in the first round, and in 1995 defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now that the Magic are set up to be a playoff team for years to come, we should get a chance to watch many more exciting and long playoff series.