Game 7 NBA Finals history: LeBron James, Bill Russell and Jerry West highlight best-ever performances

With their backs against the wall — and their best player dealing with a tough injury — the Indiana Pacers rallied Thursday to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The win not only kept the Pacers’ championship hopes alive, but set up just the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history.

On Sunday, Pacers and Thunder players will have the chance to live out every kid’s basketball fantasy. In a do-or-die situation, with a championship on the line, who will rise to the occasion and sink the biggest shots?

A select few players have elevated their game to the highest level when their teams needed it the most. Below is a list of the best performances by a player on a winning team in NBA Finals Game 7 history.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Jerry West holds the record for most points scored during a Game 7 of the NBA Finals on a winning team, with 42. LeBron James and Tom Heinsohn sit behind him on that list, with both players dropping 37 points to lead their teams to titles.

When it comes to rebounds, no one can match the great Bill Russell. The Boston Celtics superstar snagged 40 rebounds in 1962, 35 rebounds in 1960 and 32 rebounds in 1966. He’s the only player to appear on the above list three times. Russell’s excellence is never a question — he did win 11 championships — but his presence above offers more proof that he stepped up when his team needed it the most.

James is the only other player to appear twice on the list. James’ 37 points and 12 rebounds for the Miami Heat in 2013 led them past the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7. James then turned in an equally impressive performance in 2016, when he scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 11 assists while leading his home-town Cleveland Cavaliers to a title.

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan does not appear on the above list, though that only speaks to his greatness. Jordan’s Bulls never played in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He made sure Chicago closed out those series before a do-or-die game was necessary. The Bulls were pushed to a Game 6 in the NBA Finals five separate times during Jordan’s era. They won every single one of those games.

Which player from the Pacers or Thunder will join that list Sunday night? On the Thunder side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have the edge after leading the NBA with 32.7 points per game in the regular season. He’s maintained that performance during the Finals, where he’s averaging 30.5 points in six games.

Tyrese Haliburton’s injury makes it a more wide-open race for the Pacers. Haliburton seemed like a solid pick prior to his calf injury. During the first four games of the series, he was averaging 17.8 points per game. That number dropped to 9.0 following the injury.

That could set the stage for Pascal Siakam to shine if the Pacers pull out the victory. Siakam averaged 19.8 points over the first six games in the Finals, and turned in a double-double to extend the series Thursday night.

While there are exceptions, the stars usually shine the brightest with the season on the line. With each team one huge performance away from a championship, which player will step up and will their team to a title Sunday?