2006 Western Conference Finals Game 7 vs Phoenix Suns

Lore & Background

The Mavericks were heavy favorites to win the championship over the Heat. Despite these odds, the Heat pulled off the upset, becoming the third team—after the 1969 Celtics, the 1977 Trail Blazers and later the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2021 Milwaukee Bucks—to win a championship after trailing 0–2 in the series. Dwyane Wade of the Heat was named Most Valuable Player of the series.

Reader's Guide

For the first time since , the series featured two teams that had never previously appeared in the Finals; and it was the first Finals since where neither team had previously won an NBA title. As of , this is the last NBA Finals between teams that have never previously won a championship before. This was the second NBA Finals match-up of teams from Florida and Texas, after the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic contested the 1995 NBA Finals. Until the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals, it was the last Finals loss by a team from Texas (Houston lost in 1981 and 1986) versus eight Finals victories (five by San Antonio, two by Houston, and one by Dallas) including the Spurs in 2007 and the Mavericks in 2011.

This was the only Finals of the 2000s not to involve the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, and the first since 1995 not to feature either Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich as head coach. It was also the first Finals where the same company (American Airlines) owned the naming rights to both home arenas, namely American Airlines Center in Dallas and American Airlines Arena in Miami; Miami's arena name has since changed to Kaseya Center.

Did You Know?

• Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton became the 6th and 7th players to play in the NBA Finals for three different teams.
• O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning achieved the rare feat of being the former first-round picks from the same year (1992) to win a championship with the same team.
• The Heat became the second team since 1985 to sweep the middle three games at home, the 2004 Detroit Pistons being the first.

Thunder Dominance and Historic Records

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2025 postseason as the undisputed powerhouse of the league, boasting a franchise-record 68–14 regular-season performance that earned them the Maurice Podoloff Trophy. Led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team secured the top seed in the Western Conference for the second straight year, setting the stage for a historic run. Their playoff dominance was immediately evident with a staggering 51-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1, marking the largest margin of victory ever recorded in an opening game of an NBA series. This overwhelming display of strength allowed them to sweep their initial opponent and subsequently defeat the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves to reach the Western Conference Finals.

The Pacers' Miraculous Underdog Run

In stark contrast to the Thunder's dominance, the Indiana Pacers orchestrated one of the most shocking postseason runs in league history. Entering as a lower-seeded team, they defied expectations by dismantling top-tier competition, including the Milwaukee Bucks and the number-one seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, winning both series 4–1. Their journey was defined by resilience, featuring five separate instances where they overcame deficits of 15 points or more to secure victories. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton became the engine of this improbable campaign, delivering four crucial game-tying or game-winning shots that kept their hopes alive against superior opponents. This relentless performance propelled them past the New York Knicks and into the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, setting up a clash with the Thunder that no one predicted would be so competitive.

A Decisive Game Seven and Tragic Injury

Despite the Thunder holding a significant regular-season advantage with 18 more wins than their opponents, the series remained deadlocked at three games apiece heading into the final contest. The turning point arrived early in the decisive game when Indiana's star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter, effectively ending his season and shifting the momentum entirely to Oklahoma City. Capitalizing on this devastating blow, the Thunder controlled the remainder of the contest to win 103–91. This victory not only secured the championship but also highlighted the fragility of even the most surprising playoff runs when faced with catastrophic injury.

Championship Legacy and Franchise Revival

The conclusion of the 2025 playoffs marked a monumental resurgence for the Oklahoma City franchise, ending a championship drought that stretched back to 1979 when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cemented his status as an all-time great by averaging 30 points per game throughout the postseason, earning him the Finals MVP award. The victory also contributed to a unique historical trend, as it represented the seventh consecutive year with a different NBA champion, establishing the longest streak of unique winners in league history. While the Pacers' magical run was cut short by injury, their ability to topple giants like the Bucks and Cavaliers ensured they would be remembered as one of the greatest underdog stories ever told, leaving an indelible mark on the narrative of modern basketball.