The NBA is where amazing happens and as such, it’s not crazy to witness history night in and night out, especially during the playoffs. If you don’t take our word for it, just ask Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
Young and the Hawks rallied to cap off a huge deficit in the second half and get a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They made NBA history by pulling off one of the largest comebacks of all time.
Then again, as great as the Hawks’ beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers was, it wasn’t the greatest comeback we’ve seen in the offseason. That’s why today, we’re going to talk about those few times a team as able to overcome a massive deficit, letting you know about the largest comebacks in the history of the NBA playoffs.
The Largest Comebacks In NBA Playoffs History
6. Boston Celtics 94-90 New Jersey Nets
Paul Pierce missed 12 of his first 14 shots. (Getty)
Stage: 2002 Eastern Conference Finals
Deficit: 26 Points
The 2002 Boston Celtics were as hardnosed as they were pesky. You could never count them out, and the New Jersey Netsfound out the hard way when they dropped the ball in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Paul Pierce went human torch mode in the fourth quarter with a 19-point masterpiece, and the Celtics became the first team to ever come back from 20 points in the final 12 minutes of the game. Sadly for them, the Nets still beat them in the series and went to the Finals.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 119-114 Indiana Pacers
LeBron James scored 41 points. (Getty)
Stage: 2017 First Round
Deficit: 26 Points
The first-round series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers was way closer than you’d think by the final scoreboard. In fact, the Pacers were on the verge of annihilating LeBron James‘ squad in Game 3 of the series, leading them by 26 points.
The King had one of his greatest performances in the second half, capping off the largest comeback in franchise history with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love still on the bench. This put an end to the Paul George era in Indiana.
4. Atlanta Hawks 109-106 Philadelphia 76ers
The Hawks trailed by 21 in the third quarter. (Getty)
Stage: 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Deficit: 26 Points
The Atlanta Hawks came back from a 15-point deficit in Game 4 of the series, so they thought that it would be more impressive to do it again, this time trailing by 26 points. They had a 0.03% chance of winning the game with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, yet still won.
The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t score a single field goal over the final 6:30 minutes of the game. The Hawks intentionally fouled Ben Simmons over and over and he just couldn’t execute. Trae Young scored 39 points with 7 assists and then silenced the Wells Fargo Center.
3. Los Angeles Clippers 99-98 Memphis Grizzlies
Chris Paul joined the Clippers in 2011. (Getty)
Stage: 2012 First Round
Deficit: 27 Points
The Lob City era in the Los Angeles Clippers was full of memorable postseason meltdowns but it also had some iconic moments. Perhaps, their biggest playoff win came against the ‘Grit-and-Grind’ Memphis Grizzlies after trailing by as many as 27 points.
The Grizzlies led by 21 points entering the fourth quarter before completely falling apart on both ends of the floor. The Clippers scored 35 points in the fourth quarter and Chris Paul iced the game with a couple of clutch free throws.
2. Los Angeles Lakers 97-95 Seattle Supersonics
The Lakers swept the Sonics. (Getty)
Stage: 1989 Western Conference Semifinals
Deficit: 29 Points
The Showtime Los Angeles Lakers were the team to beat not only in the Western Conference but also in the whole league, and they proved why in Game 4 of the 1989 Conference Semifinals vs. the Seattle Supersonics.
After scoring just 12 points in the first quarter and trailing by 29 points, James Worthy explodedfor 33 points to take the lead with 8 minutes left in the game. Sadly, they couldn’t get past the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, missing the chance of a three-peat.
1. Los Angeles Clippers 135-131 Golden State Warriors
Lou Williams led the comeback. (Getty)
Stage: 2019 First Round
Deficit: 31 Points
The Golden State Warriors were the most overpowered team in the league and it wasn’t even close. They featured Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green; and were back-to-back NBA Champions.
The Los Angeles Clippers, however, couldn’t care less. They trailed by as many as 31 points with 7 minutes left in the third quarter when Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell went completely bonkers, leading their team to the largest comeback win in playoffs history.
Honorable Mention: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors – 2016 NBA Finals
LeBron James in the 2016 NBA Finals. (Getty)
While it wasn’t a single game, this still has to be considered the greatest comeback in the history of the playoffs. No team had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, and the Golden State Warriors had just broken the record for most wins in the regular season (73).
That’s why the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2016 title was perhaps one of the best of all time. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love teamed up to take down the reigning champions when they were just on the verge of winning back-to-back rings at home.
Draymond Green had to miss a game due to a suspension and that clearly took a toll on the Warriors’ chances. Then again, you just can’t take anything away from the Cavaliers, who gave us two of the most iconic moments in playoffs history: LeBron James’ chase-down block on Andre Iguodala and Kyrie Irving’s championship-clinching shot over Stephen Curry.
