Down the year in the NBA, we’ve witnessed a huge comeback in the NBA Playoffs. We’ve seen numerous teams mount impressive comebacks to shock the entire league. The finest example of a come-back came on the biggest stage, in the NBA Finals in 2016. LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavalier to its first championship in franchise history. He did so by helping the team make an impressive comeback from a 3-1 deficit.
King James led the Cavs to an unprecedented victory over the Golden State Warriors after winning the series 4-3. His team was down 1-3 and had to win all the remaining games to win the Title. Eventually, he won it, after forcing Game 7 at the Oracle Arena. This time around the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, both are 3-0 down in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. If any of the teams or both teams force a Game 7, they will only be the 4th and 5th teams to do so.
No team in NBA history has won a playoff series when down 3-0.
The Celtics and Lakers are looking to change that. pic.twitter.com/HeoNqfBkSt
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 22, 2023
King James with all the experience he has with comebacks, 3-0 looks like an impossible task, even by his standards. Both teams seem to be facing towards the exit and fans are starting to call it a Miami Heat vs the Denver Nuggets for the 2023 NBA Finals. However, if the Celtics or the Lakers manage to somehow claw their way back, the series will get the fans excited about the contest.
June 19, 2016: “OH, BLOCKED BY JAMES!”💪
LeBron and the Cavs (+5) completed the comeback from down 3-1 to win the NBA Title.pic.twitter.com/elwSCNuvET
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) June 19, 2021
There are only 13 teams in the NBA that have come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Playoffs. As for the Cavs, they are the only team to manage such a comeback in the Finals and won it. The rest of the teams have won it in Game 7 en route to the NBA Finals.
Only 3 teams in the history of the NBA have forced a Game 7 in the playoffs after going down 3-0
We know about teams coming back from a 3-1 deficit. However, there are only 3 teams that have come back from a 3-0 deficit and forced a Game 7. Regardless of the brilliant comeback, they made to force a Game 7, they would eventually lose the final game. The New York Knicks was the first team to rally a comeback from 3-0 to make it 3-3 against the Rochester Royals in 1951. However, they lost Game 7, which handed the Royals the NBA Title.
The Utah Jazz was the second team to force a Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals. However, they too were unable to win Game 7, which saw them get eliminated against the Denver Nuggets.
Finally, the third team to rally a comeback from a 3-0 deficit was the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. However, they too couldn’t manage to win Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks, which resulted in their elimination. It is a rarity to witness a comeback from a 3-0 deficit, let alone going all the way. Rest assured, the Nuggets and the Heat are probably on their way to the NBA Finals.
