List of 3-1 Series Comebacks In NBA Playoff History

When a team takes a 3-1 lead in a playoff series, they are likely to win the round.

However, there have been 13 instances where a team loses despite having such a significant advantage and favourable basketball betting odds of clinching the series. One such instance occurred in the NBA Finals.

Which teams have come back from being down 3-1? Let’s take a look.

NBA Teams to Come Back From 3-1 Playoff Deficit

1968 Boston Celtics 

The Boston Celtics went on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals, winning their 10th championship in 12 seasons.

1970 Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers won Games 5-7 by an average margin of 21 points per game.

They reached the NBA Finals but fell to the New York Knicks in seven games.

1979 Washington Wizards

The San Antonio Spurs kept Games 5-7 close, losing by an average margin of just 4.7 points per game.

The defending champion Washington Wizards fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in five games in the NBA Finals.

1981 Boston Celtics

The Celtics won Games 5-7 by no more than two points.

Boston then proceeded to defeat the Houston Rockets in six games in the NBA Finals.

1995 Houston Rockets

The defending champion Rockets also trailed 2-0 in this series against the Phoenix Suns before eventually winning their second straight championship and sweeping the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.

1997 Miami Heat

The Miami Heat won Games 5-7 by an average margin of 10.3 points per game.

They fell to the Chicago Bulls in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

2003 Detroit Pistons

The top-seeded Detroit Pistons dominated Games 5-7, winning by an average margin of 20.3 points per game.

Detroit was eventually swept by the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets in the conference finals.

2006 Phoenix Suns

The Suns won Games 5-7 by an average margin of 18.7 points per game.

The Phoenix Suns reached the Western Conference Finals but were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games.

2015 Houston Rockets

The Rockets won Games 5-7 by an average margin of 15.3 points per game.

Houston fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the Western Conference Finals.

2016 Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in free agency shortly after OKC’s collapse in the Western Conference Finals, helping the Dubs win two championships.

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving helped the Cleveland Cavaliers pull off the first and only 3-1 series comeback in NBA Finals history, defying all NBA Finals odds and defeating the Warriors, who finished the regular season with an all-time best 73-9 record.

James’ block on Andre Iguodala with just under two minutes left in Game 7 and Irving’s ice-cold 3-point dagger with just under a minute left helped Cleveland secure the historic 93-89 victory.

2020 Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets became the first team to erase two 3-1 series deficits in the same postseason before falling to the Lakers in five games in the Western Conference Finals.