<P> In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a game seven is the final game of a best - of - seven series in the NBA playoffs . Based on the playoffs format arrangement, it is played in the venue of the team holding home - court advantage for the series . The necessity of a game seven cannot be known until the outcome of game six is determined, assuming that a series reaches the sixth contest . In other words, game seven is the only one in a series that cannot be guaranteed more than one game in advance . Due to the decisive nature of game sevens, they are often "played more conservatively" and receive more media and fan attention . </P> <P> The NBA Finals has always employed a best - of - seven series format . The Conference (or Division) Finals have used this format since 1958; the Conference (or Division) Semifinals since 1968; and the First Round since 2003 . During the 1947 and 1948 playoffs, in which teams from different divisions met each other in the opening rounds, the first - place teams from each division played a best - of - seven series against each other before one advanced to the league finals . The other teams in the playoffs competed against each other in three best - of - three series to determine the other spot in the finals . </P> <P> Since the inception of the NBA, 128 game sevens have been played . Of those, six went into overtime, and one into double overtime . 26 game sevens have been won by the road team . There have been 12 playoff seasons in which no game sevens were played: 1947, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1999 . As of 2017, every active NBA franchise has played in at least one game seven . The 1994, the 2014 and the 2016 postseasons held the record for most game sevens played, with five . In 1979, 1981, 1988, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2012 four game sevens were played . Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks both hold the record for most game sevens played in a single season, having played three game sevens in 1988 and 1994 respectively, the maximum possible at that time . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> OT </Td> <Td> Overtime (the number in front indicates the number of overtime periods played, if there were more than one) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> * </Td> <Td> Indicates a game seven that was won by the road team </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Year (X) </Td> <Td> Indicates the number of games seven played in that year's postseason Each year is linked to an article about that particular NBA season </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> #</Td> <Td> Indicates the team that lost a game seven after coming back from an 0--3 series deficit </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Team (#) </Td> <Td> Indicates team and the number of game sevens played by that team at that point </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Indicates game seven in the NBA Finals </Td> </Tr> </Table>

How many nba finals have not gone to game 7