NBA players have never lost a Game 7 on their birthday, and 1 Spurs-Thunder player has theirs this time

NBA players have never lost a Game 7 on their birthday, and 1 Spurs-Thunder player has theirs this time originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

It’s one of the quirkiest stats in NBA history — a player has never lost a Game 7 on their birthday.

The sample size, entering Saturday night’s Western Conference Final finale between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, is currently 7-0.

Walt Hazzard started it in 1966.

Scott Hastings made it 2-0 in 1990.

Kevin Garnett got a Game 7 birthday win in 2004.

Udonis Haslem joined the party in 2012.

Pablo Prigioni came aboard the trend in 2015.

Harrison Barnes did it with the Warriors in 2016.

And Paul George already made it happen in the first round this year to keep the streak alive.

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On Saturday, when the Spurs and Thunder clash for a spot in the NBA Finals, there’s a good omen on the side of San Antonio.

That’s because it’s Barnes’ birthday. He’s already on this list, and he’ll have the chance to be the first NBA player to win two Game 7s on his birthday.

Barnes was born on May 30, 1992, so he’ll turn 34 on Saturday.

The last time he played a Game 7 on his birthday was 10 years ago, when he turned 24 — that was when the Warriors beat the Thunder in an epic series finale, and now Barnes is going against OKC again.

Barnes is a much less pivotal player now for San Antonio than he was back then for Golden State, but this trend doesn’t seem to care how crucial a player is to his team. It’s just about the birthday.

Will the Spurs have something to celebrate on Saturday? Barnes’ birthday certainly suggests that they will.

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