The Golden State Warriors have the Houston Rockets on the ropes.
No. 7 Golden State on Monday took a commanding 3-1 series lead over No. 2 Houston in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Warriors won a second straight home game, this time beating the Rockets in a 109-106 thriller.
The series now shifts back to Houston for Game 5 on Wednesday, when the Rockets will be playing to keep their season alive. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Co., meanwhile, are on the verge of advancing to the conference semifinals.
Jimmy Butler scores 27 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 109-106 Game 4 win over the Houston Rockets on April 28, 2025, at Chase Center.
But just how many No. 7 seeds have pulled off first-round upsets in NBA playoff history? Here’s a look at the company this year’s Dubs can join:
How many No. 7 seeds have defeated a No. 2 seed in the NBA playoffs?
Since the playoff field expanded from 12 to 16 teams in 1984, a total of six No. 7 seeds have made it past Round 1.
The 1986-87 Seattle SuperSonics were the first seven seed to accomplish the feat. After a regular season where they posted a losing record of 39-43, the SuperSonics eliminated the No. 2 Dallas Mavericks in four games. Seattle lost to Dallas by 22 points in Game 1 before reeling off three straight wins.
In the 1988-89 season, Chris Mullin and the No. 7 Warriors swept Karl Malone, John Stockton and the No. 2 Utah Jazz in three games. The Warriors then repeated history two postseasons later, with the No. 7 Run TMC Dubs disposing of the David Robinson-led No. 2 San Antonio Spurs in four games.
The 1997-98 New York Knicks are the lone No. 7 seed to go the distance in a first-round series and win the decisive final game. Allan Houston powered the Knicks to a series-clinching Game 5 win over the No. 2 Miami Heat after New York was down 2-1 in the series. The following season, the Knicks pulled off another Round 1 upset of the Heat in five games, except this time New York was an eight seed. The No. 8 Knicks went all the way to the Finals, where they fell to the Spurs in five games.
Speaking of San Antonio, the 2009-10 Spurs also made it to Round 2 as a No. 7 seed by eliminating the No. 2 Mavs in six games. Dirk Nowitzki and Co. bounced back from the defeat the following year by winning the Finals.
The most recent No. 7 seed to advance was the 2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers, who beat the Memphis Grizzlies in six games. That Lakers team and the 2009-10 Spurs squad are the lone No. 7 seeds to win a seven-game first-round series.
Of the six No. 7 seeds to emerge from the first round, the 1986-87 SuperSonics and 2022-23 Lakers are the only ones that went on to win another series. Seattle beat Hakeem Olajuwon’s No. 6 Rockets in the conference semifinals before being swept by the eventual champion Lakers in the West Finals. And the Lakers beat the Warriors in six games before being swept by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the conference finals.
The 1988-89 Warriors, 1990-91 Warriors and 1997-98 Knicks all lost in five games in the conference semifinals, while the 2009-10 Spurs were swept.
Here’s a full look at each of the No. 7 seeds that have advanced past Round 1:
- Seattle SuperSonics, 1986-87: Beat Mavericks in four games, lost in conference finals
- Golden State Warriors, 1988-89: Beat Jazz in three games, lost in second round
- Golden State Warriors, 1990-91: Beat Spurs in four games, lost in second round
- New York Knicks, 1997-98: Beat Heat in five games, lost in second round
- San Antonio Spurs, 2009-10: Beat Mavericks in six games, lost in second round
- Los Angeles Lakers, 2022-23: Beat Grizzlies in six games, lost in conference finals
Editor’s note: The original version of this story was published in April 2024.
What teams have the best chance at landing potential No. 1 overall pick, Duke’s Cooper Flagg? Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
