- The Clippers came back from down 31 points to beat the Warriors in the playoffs.
- The biggest comeback win by point differential is 36.
- LeBron James scored 41 points during a comeback win in the playoffs.
Just when you thought the game was over, these comebacks completely changed the outcome of NBA betting picks in the blink of an eye.
Let’s look at some of the greatest come-from-behind wins in NBA history.
9 Greatest Comebacks in NBA History
| Matchup | Comeback | Date |
| Clippers vs. Warriors | 31 points | April 15, 2019 |
| Jazz vs. Nuggets | 36 points | Nov. 27, 1996 |
| Lakers vs. SuperSonics | 29 points | May 14, 1989 |
| Kings vs. Bulls | 35 points | Dec. 21, 2009 |
| Clippers vs. Wizards | 35 points | Jan. 25, 2022 |
| Clippers vs. Grizzlies | 27 points | April 29, 2012 |
| Celtics vs. Lakers | 24 points | June 12, 2008 |
| Jazz vs. Bulls | 31 points | Feb. 4, 1998 |
| Cavaliers vs. Pacers | 26 points | April 20, 2017 |
Clippers vs. Warriors – 31 points
Up by 31 points in the third quarter, the Warriors seemed well on their way to victory on their home floor.
🚨 31 days until #KiaTipOff19 🚨
Flash back to the best of the @LAClippers’ historic 31-point comeback against GSW in the #NBAPlayoffs! pic.twitter.com/Y0EozanOwv
— NBA (@NBA) September 21, 2019
However, Lou Williams (36 points, 11 assists) and Montrezl Harrell (25 points, 10 rebounds) rallied the Clippers past the two-time defending champions for the biggest playoff comeback win in NBA history with a final score of 135-131.
Jazz vs. Nuggets – 36 points
This is the biggest comeback by point differential in NBA history, as the Jazz outscored the Nuggets 71-33 in the second half after trailing by as many as 36 points in the second quarter.
Karl Malone and Jeff Hornacek led the way with 31 and 29 points, respectively, in Utah’s 107-103 win.
Lakers vs. SuperSonics – 29 points
The SuperSonics led 43-14 early in the second quarter, but the Lakers trimmed the lead to 11 by halftime and surged ahead midway through the fourth quarter, never looking back.
James Worthy scored 33 points, and Magic Johnson added 17 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in the 97-95 win to sweep Seattle in the Western Conference semifinals.
Kings vs. Bulls – 35 points
The Kings trailed by as many as 35 points in the third quarter but started to chip away, cutting the deficit to single digits with just over three minutes left in the fourth before charging ahead for the 102-98 win.
#OTD in 2009, the Sacramento Kings led by Rookie Tyreke Evans made the 2nd Largest comeback in NBA History as they erased a 35pt deficit to beat the Bulls pic.twitter.com/w3nfSeMuLI
— Lukas (@KBsLakeShow24) December 21, 2023
Tyreke Evans and Ime Udoka put up 23 and 17 points, respectively.
Clippers vs. Wizards – 35 points
The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, trailing by as many as 35 points late in the second period.
The @LAClippers came back from 35 down tonight…the NBA's largest comeback since 2009!@LukeKennard5 added some late game heroics knocking down the game winning 4-point-play! #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/jBE0uTpgzv
— NBA (@NBA) January 26, 2022
Nonetheless, Amir Coffey and Luke Kennard provided 29 and 25 points, respectively, to propel the Clippers to a 116-115 win.
Clippers vs. Grizzlies – 27 points
The Clippers trailed by 24 points with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but they finished the game on a 28-3 run to win 99-98 in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Nick Young, who had three critical 3-pointers down the stretch, led all scorers with 19 points.
Chris Paul finished with 14 points and 11 assists. Blake Griffin added 17 points.
Celtics vs. Lakers – 24 points
Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett combined for 55 points, while James Posey provided 18 off the bench, to power the Celtics to a 3-1 lead in the 2008 NBA Finals with a final score of 97-91.
June 12, 2008: Down 24 early, the Celtics come back to beat the Lakers 97-91 in G4 of the Finals to take a 3-1 lead in the series. pic.twitter.com/b8qPgMqQw3
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) June 12, 2020
The Celtics trailed by 20 points midway through the third quarter but closed the quarter on a 21-3 run to make it a two-point game.
Jazz vs. Bulls – 31 points
The Bulls held a 31-point lead in a game where Michael Jordan went off for 40 points during the height of their dynasty.
The Jazz, a team Chicago defeated twice in the Finals, stormed back to win 101-93.
John Stockton led Utah with 17 points and 18 assists.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers – 26 points
The Pacers were down 2-0 in the first-round playoff series but led by 25 points at halftime.
The @cavs complete the largest halftime-deficit comeback (25p) in #NBAPlayoffs history to the beat Pacers in Game 3! pic.twitter.com/W6fSfAXyZr
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 21, 2017
Nevertheless, LeBron James turned on the jets and dropped 28 of his 41 points in the second half, while also putting up 13 rebounds and 12 assists, to lead the Cavs to a 119-114 victory.