Ranking the Game 7s of the first round of NBA playoffs: Cavaliers-Raptors at No. 1

Heading into the 2026 NBA Playoffs, no one expected the first round to be very exciting. So, of course, we ended up with three Game 7s, all in the Eastern Conference: the Detroit Pistons vs. the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Toronto Raptors.

There have only been four Game 7s in the entire 2025 playoffs, and this is the most Game 7s in a single first round since 2014, when five of eight first round series went the distance. Here are some notable Game 7 facts while we wait for this weekend’s action to begin:

• There have been 155 Game 7s in NBA playoff history
• Home teams are 115-40 in games 7, but…
• There has been at least one Game 7 road winner in each of the last 10 seasons
• The Celtics have played the most 7 games (37) and won the most 7 games (27)
• Jayson Tatum owns all-time Game 7 scoring record of 51 points (vs. Sixers, 2023)

Here is the program of action for this weekend:

• SATURDAY: Sixers at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET – NBC
• Sunday: Magic at Pistons, 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
• Sunday: Raptors at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET – NBC

And now, finally, let’s classify the confrontations:

1. Cavaliers vs. Raptors

From 2016 to 2018, the Cavaliers faced the Raptors in the playoffs three seasons in a row. With LeBron James leading the way, they won in six games in the second round in 2016, then swept the Raptors in the first round in 2017 and 2018. James was so unstoppable during that span that ESPN’s Mark Jones said Toronto should be replaced by LeBronto.

With James now in Los Angeles, the Cavaliers’ dominance over the Raptors in the playoffs seemed to continue when they took a 2-0 lead in this series, winning both games by double digits. The Raptors refused to give up, however.

The Raptors dominated Game 3 at home thanks to Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett, who scored 33 points each, then stunned the Cavs in Game 4 with a last-minute comeback to tie the series. Through the first three quarters of Game 5, the Raptors looked poised to win three games in a row, but the Cavaliers rallied in the fourth to pull out a dramatic victory and take a 3-2 lead.

Game 6 in Toronto was another thriller. The Raptors led by as many as 15 in the second half and were still up double digits in the fourth quarter until Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley led an incredible comeback. Mobley forced overtime with a late bucket and Mitchell gave the Cavs a two-up lead in the extra frame. His bucket seemed to be the winner when RJ Barrett’s 3-pointer from the top of the key hit the back of the rimbut divine intervention prevailed. The ball bounced straight into the air, then fell through the net, giving the Raptors an unforgettable, season-saving victory.

This has arguably been the most exciting and competitive first round series, especially over the last three games, none of which were decided by more than five points. We should have another battle on Sunday, and it will be very interesting to see how the Cavaliers respond after coming so close to ending the series in Game 6.

2. Celtics vs. Sixers

No franchise has met more often in the playoffs than the Celtics and Sixers, who first faced each other in 1953, when the Sixers were the Syracuse Nationals. The Celtics won this best-of-three set in two games, with both wins coming by six points – including a quadruple-overtime thriller in Game 2 that featured a 50-point effort from Bob Cousy.

This series, their 23rd playoff meeting, hasn’t been as competitive, at least not on a game-by-game basis. Only one of the first six games was decided by single digits, and the Celtics had two 30-point victories (Games 1 and 4). The Celtics, heavy favorites entering the series, took a 3-1 lead and led by 13 entering the third quarter of Game 5.

Since then, everything has changed. The Sixers have outscored the Celtics 169-127 since 10:13 of the third quarter of Game 5, and notably held Boston to 3 of 22 shooting in the fourth quarter of this contest. Now, after the Sixers’ comfortable win in Game 6, the series is tied at 3-3.

There’s a good chance this game will be another blowout — it’s very easy to imagine the Celtics hitting 20-plus 3s and cruising to a win — so we can’t rank it No. 1 from a pure basketball standpoint. But there is so much history in this confrontation and so many storylines.

Will Jayson Tatum (now questionable with knee tightness) suit up? Should he, given his recent Achilles recovery? Will the Celtics blow their first 3-1 lead in franchise history? Will the Sixers beat the Celtics in the playoffs for the first time since 1982? Will the Sixers win their first playoff series since 2023? Will Joel Embiid finally beat the Celtics in the playoffs?

The 76ers are playing with house money in Game 7 against the Celtics, with decades of history working against them

Jean Gonzalez

3. Pistons versus magic

In 2003 – the year the NBA changed the first round to a best-of-seven format – the Pistons were the No. 1 seed and pulled off a 3-1 comeback to defeat the No. 8 seed Magic. Today, 23 years later, history is in the making. about to repeat itself.

The Pistons, who won 60 games this season and were seeded in the East for the first time since 2007, lost Game 1 at home, dominated Game 2, then lost heartbreakers in Games 3 and 4 to fall 3-1 to the Magic. Notably, the 2003 series followed exactly the same trend in terms of results.

Can the Pistons come back against Magic? History is on the side of the No. 1 seed despite a 3-1 hole

Jack Maloney

In Game 5, Cade Cunningham scored 45 points to set the Pistons’ playoff scoring record and keep his team alive. When the Pistons fell behind by 24 points in Game 6 in Orlando on Friday, it looked like their season was over, but they staged an incredible comeback by holding the Magic to 19 points on 4-of-37 shooting in the second half. At some point, the Magic has missed 23 consecutive shots as the Pistons went on a 35-5 run.

Now, the series will return to Detroit for Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. In 2003, Game 7 was also played in Detroit on a Sunday afternoon. Everything is on the line for a Pistons victory.

The crowd at Little Caesars Arena is going to be electric, and it will be fascinating to see if the Pistons can pull off a comeback identical to the one they achieved over two decades ago. That said, strictly in terms of on-field action, this game has to be third.

This series was a disgusting display of basketball. Both teams failed to reach 100 points in three of six games, both teams shot a combined 410 of 998 (41.1%) from the field and there were a total of 282 fouls and 185 turnovers. There’s no reason to expect Game 7 to be any prettier.