NBA Conference Finals Matchups Both Go 7 Games for 1st Time Since 1979

The NBA is getting a rare double-dose of the two best words in sports: Game Seven.

On Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided elimination with a 109-99 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. The Golden State Warriors followed suit on Saturday night by forcing a winner-take-all battle on Monday night with a 115-86 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 6.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the first time since 1979 that both conference finals series went the full seven games. The home teams (the Seattle SuperSonics and the Washington Bullets) won both of those do-or-die matchups, respectively.

Of course, even with home-court advantage, both Houston and Boston are facing daunting challenges. Golden State and Cleveland have won their respective conferences in each of the past three seasons. Both the Warriors (twice) and the Cavs (once) have won NBA titles during that span.

Regardless of who makes it to the 2018 NBA Finals, the NBA could not have asked for much better series in the conference finals.