The Indiana Pacers exhibited a commanding performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, thereby compelling a Game 7.

Entering Game 6, the Pacers were determined to secure a victory at all costs to prolong the series. The team succeeded in achieving a remarkable and authoritative win, which means that fans will witness the first NBA Finals Game 7 in nearly a decade.

The history of NBA Finals Game 7: Anticipation of numerous firsts

The forthcoming NBA Finals Game 7 promises several firsts to anticipate. Primarily, it will mark the first Game 7 in the Finals since LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Additionally, this will be the first NBA Finals to reach Game 7 without LeBron James participating in 15 years. The last occurrence was during the 2010 finals when Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers competed against the Boston Celtics.

The victor of Game 7 will claim the championship for the first time in their franchise's history. The most recent instance of this was in 2023, when the Denver Nuggets secured the championship. Currently, ten teams are still in pursuit of their inaugural NBA title, but this number will decrease to nine on Sunday.

Home court advantage in NBA Finals Game 7

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enjoy home-court advantage in the NBA Finals Game 7. Historically, the finals have reached a full seven games 19 times, with the home team emerging victorious in 15 of those instances. Thus, the odds are significantly in favor of the Thunder.

The Indiana Pacers aspire to challenge these odds and join the ranks of the Celtics, the Washington Bullets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers by winning Game 7 on the road. The Celtics achieved this feat twice, in 1969 and 1974, while the Bullets and the Cavaliers celebrated victories in 1978 and 2016, respectively.

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