Has Any NBA Team Come Back From a 3-1 Deficit?
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The NBA Finals are upon us, and the question on everyone’s mind is: can the Golden State Warriors come back from a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers? It’s certainly possible – after all, no team is unbeatable – but it’s going to be a tall task. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that will come into play.
Introduction
In the NBA, a team leading a best-of-seven series 3–1 has historically finished the series 99.6% of the time (163 out of 164 series).
Three-time NBA champion Byron Scott is one of only four players in NBA history to be on a team that overcame a 3–1 deficit, as his 1999–00 Lakers came back to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.
In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors overcame a 3–1 deficit to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was the first time in NBA Finals history that a team had come back from a 3–1 deficit to win the championship.
The Boston Celtics
In the history of the NBA, only eight teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a seven-game series. It has happened twice in the Finals. The first time was in 1966, when the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. The second time was in 2006, when the Miami Heat came back to beat the Dallas Mavericks.
The Los Angeles Lakers
In the NBA, a team leading a best-of-seven series 3–1 is very likely to win the series. Of the 32 previous times an NBA team held such a lead, only three teams have failed to win the series.
The first team to do it were the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970 NBA Finals. They were down 3–1 against the New York Knicks, but won three straight games to take the title. The second team were thePortland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals. They were down 3–2 against Julius Erving’s Philadelphia 76ers, but won Game 6 at home, then won Game 7 in Philadelphia to take the title. The Boston Celtics became the third and most recent team in 1981, when they came back from a 3–1 deficit against Houston to win Games 5 and 7 on the road, clinching their then-record 16th championship.
The Golden State Warriors
In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship. The Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.
The Cleveland Cavaliers
In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship. After losing the first two games of the series, the Cavaliers won three straight to force a Game 7, which they won 93-89.
Conclusion
No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. In fact, only eight teams in NBA history have even forced a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series. So, while it’s not impossible for the Cavs to come back and win this series, history is not on their side.
