The NBA is certainly one of the most entertaining and thrilling sports, in the sports sphere few events captivate audiences like the NBA Finals. It is a stage where legacy is born and legends are put on a pedestal.
Currently in the 2024 Finals, Dallas Mavericks have found themselves in a handicap predicament having lost the first two games of the series and heading to the third game without a win. It’s a no-brainer that Game 3 is a must-win for the Mavs if they want to salvage anything in this Final.
Luckily, the Mavericks can draw inspiration from the history of the NBA Finals with these five teams that found themselves in such a hole and managed to conquer against all odds.
Four Teams That Came Back From a 2-0 Hole In NBA Finals History
1. Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns, 2021 Finals
Milwaukee Bucks are the recent team to find themselves trailing by two games in the Final. Antetokounmpo had 41 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, and Milwaukee won 120–100 at home to cut Phoenix’s series lead to 2–1. Giannis Antetokounmpo became the second player to have consecutive Finals games with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds, joining Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. The Bucks went ahead to win the championship with a 4-2 series win.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors, 2016 Finals
Just like the Mavericks, the Cavaliers found themselves 2-0 down in the series, the Cavaliers faced a daunting challenge against the blazing Warriors with Steph Curry dishing out three left right, and center. LeBron James led the Cavs with 33 points in total followed closely by Ivrin who contributed 30 points to see the Cavs cut the deficit by one.
By the end of the sixth game, the series was in a tie 3-3. Cavaliers won the Championship in the 7 games. What a historic comeback.
3. Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs, 2006 Finals
In their first ever NBA Finals Miami Heat found themselves in murky waters as they trailed 2-0 in the Finals series. Dwayne Wade’s outstanding performance led his team with a historic 42-point contribution and 13 rebounds. Gary Payton iced the comeback with a two-pointer with just nine seconds to go. This proved to be a vital match-winner. Miami Heat rallied a comeback going 4-2 to win their First Championship.
4. Portland Trail Blazers vs Philadelphia 76ers, 1977 Finals
This was the first season during the ABA-NBA Merger. The Blazers found themselves two games down going to the third game. The Blazers offense took charge of the game and posted a 42-point fourth quarter to win 129–107. The turning point came early in the fourth with the score 91-87, when Walton tipped in an alley-oop pass from Bob Gross over Darryl Dawkins who did an alley-oop dunk to the amusement of the fans. Blazers won the series 4-2 to win the championship.
5. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 1969
The Los Angeles Lakers were highly favored to win this Final series, and rightly so as they were leading by two games heading to the third game. The Celtic sterned everyone as they garnered a comeback. The heroics belonged to Celtics forward John Havlicek: playing with a swollen eye after being poked by Keith Erickson, he scored 34 points. Bolton won the series by 4-3 To Clinch the Championship.
As we eagerly wait for the third game of the 2024 NBA Finals, I am rooting for the Mavs to garner a comeback to make things more interesting and remind fans worldwide not to rule out the Dallas Mavericks as history has proven time and again that the underdog can garner a comeback from the pits of a two-game deficit to go ahead and win the Championship.
Do you believe the Dallas Mavericks have what it takes to pull a surprising comeback?
