Has any team come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA Playoffs history?

While they did put up a good fight, the Dallas Mavericks were unable to stop the Celtics’ relentless offense. With that, are now in a deep hole.

Paul Reidypaulreidy67Update: Jun 13th, 2024 02:52 EDT

TIM HEITMANAFP

Trailing 2-0 in the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks came into Game 3 knowing they needed a win to have any real shot at getting back in this series. In the end, they didn’t get it which is not ideal to say the least.

Mavericks are in uncharted territory at 3-0

On Wednesday night, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both played as you would expect, remarkably. Irving in particular was unguardable at times. Doncic for his part was his usual productive self until he fouled out, which brings us to the point: The Mavericks played exceptionally well down the stretch and still, were unable to get the win.

"It's not over till it's over. We just gotta believe."Luka Doncic speaks after the Mavericks went down 3-0 in the NBA Finals 🗣(via @JoeyMistretta_ ) pic.twitter.com/Gy1NCBYJZU

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 13, 2024

What that means is that the Mavs now find themselves in a position that no team has ever recovered from. To be more specific, in NBA Playoffs history, no team has ever successfully overturned a 3-0 deficit. In the 154 previous times that a team went 3-0 down, not once.

Heat thwart Celtics in 2023

Teams trailing 3–1 in finals have managed to bounce back 13 times with the most recent example coming in 2023 in the Eastern Conference Finals, when the Heat took control of the series against the Celtics by winning the first three games. Boston roared back into the contest in spectacular fashion but couldn’t complete the comeback, with a Jimmy Butler-inspired Miami comfortably winning the decider to triumph 4-3.

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Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat TIM NWACHUKWUAFP

Prior to that, it was actually the Dallas Mavericks who overcame a scare to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference first round in 2003, while the Utah Jazz narrowly avoided throwing away their second-round series against the Nuggets in 1994.

The very first close call came for the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) who were taken to Game 7 by the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals in 1951 having started with three successive wins.

What time does Mavericks vs Celtics: Game 4 start?

The game between the Mavericks and Celtics will be played at American Airlines Center on Friday, June 14th.