NBA playoff series are a whirlwind of momentum swings and unpredictable drama. Coaching adjustments and critical injuries can play a huge factor as the postseason rolls along. Teams that find themselves in a dreaded 0-2 hole are usually a great bet to be eliminated.
The odds of clawing back from an 0-2 deficit are slim. Only about 7% of teams in NBA history have manage to win a seven-game series after losing the first two games. After the Indiana Pacers came back from being down 0-2 to defeat the New York Knicks, a measly 34 teams out of 451 series. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets failed to become the 35th squad to complete the feat, despite a 20-point Game 7 lead.
With the 2024 NBA playoffs Conference Finals about to tip off, here’s a look at the NBA teams that have come back after going down 0-2 in a best-of-seven series:
| Year | Series Winner | Series Loser | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Boston | L.A. Lakers | NBA Finals |
| 1969 | L.A. Lakers | San Francisco | Western Division semifinal |
| 1971 | Baltimore | New York | Eastern Conference final |
| 1977 | Portland | Philadelphia | NBA Finals |
| 1993 | Chicago | New York | Eastern Conference final |
| 1994 | Houston | Phoenix | Western Conference semifinal |
| 1995 | Houston | Phoenix | Western Conference semifinal |
| 2004 | L.A. Lakers | San Antonio | Western Conference semifinal |
| 2005 | Dallas | Houston | Western Conference first round |
| 2005 | Washington | Chicago | Eastern Conference first round |
| 2006 | Miami | Dallas | NBA Finals |
| 2007 | Utah | Houston | Western Conference first round |
| 2007 | Cleveland | Detroit | Eastern Conference final |
| 2008 | San Antonio | New Orleans | Western Conference semifinal |
| 2012 | Oklahoma City | San Antonio | Western Conference final |
| 2013 | Memphis | L.A. Clippers | Western Conference first round |
| 2016 | Portland | L.A. Clippers | Western Conference first round |
| 2016 | Cleveland | Golden State | NBA Finals |
| 2017 | Boston | Chicago | Eastern Conference first round |
| 2018 | Cleveland | Boston | Eastern Conference final |
| 2019 | Raptors | Bucks | Eastern Conference final |
| 2021 | Clippers | Mavericks | Western Conference first round |
| 2021 | Bucks | Nets | Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2021 | Clippers | Jazz | Western Conference semifinal |
| 2021 | Bucks | Suns | NBA Finals |
| 2022 | Mavericks | Suns | Western Conference semifinal |
| 2023 | Warriors | Kings | Western Conference first round |
| 2024 | Pacers | Knicks | Eastern Conference semifinal |
NBA teams that have won the series after trailing 0-2: Recent History Looks Bright
Shockingly, six teams have stormed back from a 0-2 deficit over the last three years. Removing those six from the equation, only 26 teams have overcome an 0-2 deficit in an NBA playoff series prior to 2021. Winning on the road, in the playoffs, as the pace of the game slows down is easier said than done.
The 2024 NBA playoffs have seen the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers (in the Eastern Conference Finals) go down 0-2 and be eliminated.
The reigning NBA Champion Denver Nuggets failed to dig themselves out of the dreaded 0-2 hole in the second round.
Each of the most recent examples of overcoming the 0-2 deficit have one common denominator. Superstar(s), often multiple, as leaders of their franchise. In fact, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, and Steph Curry will likely all go down as top-50 players in NBA history when their respective careers wrap up. Their impact in these playoff turnarounds cannot be overlooked.
One conclusion from the above table is clear: don't bother wasting your money on a team without a top-10 talent in the Association to overcome an 0-2 deficit. The results aren't pretty. Here's a few of the most recent examples.
2021 Milwaukee Bucks
Returning from a two-game deficit is a supremely rare feat. Yet, the Bucks did it twice in one playoff. First, Milwaukee knocked off the Nets in the East semis, then raged back to snuff the Suns and secure an NBA championship victory. What a run by Giannis Antetokounmpo and co.
2021 Los Angeles Clippers
At the same time the Bucks were wilding out, the Clippers had a sizzling stretch of their own. This 2021 run was arguably L.A.'s peak in the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George partnership. Eventually, injuries dragged Kawhi down, but not before that '21 Clippers squad secured 2-0 comebacks over the Mavericks and Jazz.
2023 Golden State Warriors
"A 50-POINT GAME 7 FOR STEPH CURRY!"#PLAYOFFMODE ACTIVATED IN GAME 7.
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2023
WARRIORS/KINGS ON ABC. pic.twitter.com/zny9xgn4ge
Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors are the latest team to overcome the 0-2 deficit. All-star De'Aaron Fox and the young and hungry Kings finally looked ready to end years of misery at the Warriors expense. Sacramento stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the series, while fans and analysts alike began to question if this is the end of Golden State's dynasty. Alas, it wasn't to be for the Kings, as the Warriors won three straight games to advance. Steph Curry's memorable 50-point game is the most ever scored in a game 7 in NBA history.
2024 Indiana Pacers
Indiana overcame the dreaded deficit and came back from being down 3-2 to defeat the New York Knicks in a thrilling seven-game series. Behind the wizardry of Tyrese Haliburton, dogged team defense and Pascal Siakam's timely and consistent scoring, the Pacers managed to pull off the stunner.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam lead the @Pacers in Game 7 to advance to the ECF!
— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2024
Haliburton: 26 PTS (14 in 1Q), 10-17 FGM, 6 3PM, 6 AST
Siakam: 20 PTS (11 in 1Q), 8-15 FGM, 4 REB, 4 AST
Indiana's 67.1 FG% is the highest percentage in a playoff game in NBA history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6dv3EasEwH
Not only did Rick Carlisle's squad demolish the shorthanded Knicks 130-109 at Madison Square Garden to complete the comeback, they did it in style. Indiana knocked down an NBA playoff record 67% of shots from the field, and 54% from deep to pull off the victory.
While the Indiana Pacers maintained to defeat the injury-depleted New York Knicks in the second round, Rick Carlisle's team went on the be swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
NBA Teams Down 3-0: A Sad, Sad History
One order of pain and despair, please, shaken, not stirred.
There's nothing more dreadful than watching your favorite team fall behind a series 3-0. That sucks. But then the ecstasy that follows when they even it up 3-3? That's sweet. In the NBA, though, that joy disappears quickly, as no team has ever successfully won a series after trailing 3-0. Four teams have forced a Game 7.
Here are a few squads that came close.
2023 Boston Celtics
This wound is still fresh in Beantown. The Celtics were the NBA championship chalk for most of the regular season, and after two series victories, they crumbled in the Eastern Finals. But first, the C's put their fans through a real rigamarole.
JIMMY AND THE HEAT GET THEIR REVENGE ON THE CELTICS 😤 pic.twitter.com/WPxpiwAs0O
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2023
Jaylen Brown swore his team needed just one win, and he was right. The Celtics, on the brink of elimination, rattled off three in a row but couldn't stop the buzzsaw Miami Heat. And, in the end, all Celtics fans got was a puddle of tears. Perhaps Boston can take some revenge in this year's first round series.
2003 Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers almost achieved history, and that would've counted for something, even in a menial first-round series.
The Dallas Mavericks were good that year, operating under a flawless pick-and-roll tandem of Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. So when the Blazers fell behind, it looked like a sure thing. Damon Stoudamire, Zach Randolph and the boys clawed back, but they just couldn't squeeze out that elusive Game 7 win.
