Coming back from a 3-1 deficit is not easy, and only a few NBA teams have actually managed to pull off the feat. But exactly how many teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a NBA playoff series? The answer is only nine teams have managed to rally from down 3-1. We've listed all nine teams, their opponents, the year and what round of the playoffs it occurred in below.
Despite the limited historical precedence that's exactly what the Golden State Warriors are trying to do this postseason. The Warriors, who set the NBA regular season record with a 73-9 record, are down 3-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors are back at home for Games 5 and 7, but have lost home court advantage because of a Game 1 loss.
The last team to rally from a 3-1 deficit was the Houston Rockets, who did it last year. But a team hasn't done so in the Western Conference finals since 2006, when the Suns did it against the Lakers. In fact, of the nine teams to pull off the feat, that's the only instance in the Western Conference finals.
The team listed first on the list below is the team that rallied from the 3-1 deficit. So, here are the nine NBA teams that have managed to come back from down 3-1.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Eastern Conference Finals, 1968
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns: Western Conference Semifinals, 1970
Washington Bullets vs. San Antonio Spurs: Eastern Conference Finals, 1979
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Eastern Conference Finals, 1981
Houston Rockets vs. Phoenix Suns: Western Conference Semifinals, 1995
Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks: Eastern Conference Semifinals, 1997
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic: Eastern Conference First Round, 2003
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference Finals, 2006
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Western Conference Semifinals, 2015
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