How many teams have come back from 3-1 deficit in NBA Playoffs history? Full list includes Cavaliers, Warriors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Coming back from a 3-1 deficit certainly isn't easy, but it's not impossible.
While no team in NBA history has ever won a series after trailing 3-0, a number of them have bounced back from a 3-1 deficit to advance to the next round — and in one case, win the whole thing.
As of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, two teams have added themselves to the all-time list of squads to complete a 3-1 comeback.
Here's the full list of NBA teams to return from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.
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How many teams have come back from 3-1 deficit in NBA Playoffs history?
Teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Playoffs a total of 15 times.
The Celtics were the first team to do it, beating the 76ers in the 1968 Eastern Division Finals to advance to the Finals, where they defeated the Lakers to add another championship to their trophy case.
Eight different teams have mounted a 3-1 comeback in the playoffs since 2000. In the first round of the 2026 playoffs alone, two teams completed 3-1 comebacks — the Philadelphia 76ers, after a return from injury for Joel Embiid, won three-straight over the Celtics. Then, the top-seeded Detroit Pistons overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Orlando Magic.
In 2020, the Denver Nuggets became the first team ever to complete multiple 3-1 comebacks in one playoff run.
Trailing 3-1 in an NBA playoff series isn't quite a death blow, but history says it's extremely unlikely the losing team will rattle off three-straight wins.
Per Land of Basketball, as of April 2026, teams that have fallen into a 3-1 series hole are 15-288 all-time in their series, a winning percentage of just .050.
Additionally, there have been a total of 38 series in which a team held a 3-1 lead through four games, but a Game 7 was forced. Among those series that finished in seven games, the team that held the original 3-1 advantage has gone 23-15 in Game 7, per Land of Basketball.
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Record of teams trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the biggest stage in the sport, and to date, just one team has made a 3-1 series comeback at that stage.
The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers remain the only team to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals when they bested the Warriors; LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and company took down a Stephen Curry-led Warriors team that set an NBA record with 73 wins in the regular season and ended Cleveland's 52-year championship drought.
In NBA Finals history, teams that have fallen into a 3-1 series hole are 1-37 all-time.
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Teams to come back from 3-1 in NBA history
Here's a look at the teams to accomplish a 3-1 comeback in the NBA playoffs.
1968 Celtics, Eastern Division Finals vs. 76ers
In 1968, the Boston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 playoff series deficit. They took down the defending NBA champions, the 76ers.
This was one of the many rivalry matchups between two legendary big men: Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
After a Russell and John Havlicek-led squad beat the Pistons in the first round, they won Game 1 against Philadelphia in the second round behind Havlicek's 35 points and Russell's 22 rebounds. But the 76ers took the next three games, with Hal Greer's 28 points and Chamberlain's 16 rebounds leading to a Game 4 win that made it 3-1.
The Celtics, however, came back to force a Game 7; Russell had 24 rebounds in Game 5 and another 31 in Game 6. Boston officially became the first successful team in a 3-1 deficit with a 100-96 win in Game 7, overcoming a 34-rebound night for Chamberlain in Philadelphia.
The Celtics went on to win that year's NBA Finals.
1970 Lakers, Western Division Semifinals vs. Suns
The Lakers and Suns were matched up in the first round of the 1970 NBA playoffs, with L.A. led by a star-studded squad including Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
However, the Lakers were bested by a Paul Silas and Connie Hawkins-led Suns team in Games 2, 3 and 4, leading to a 3-1 deficit.
Los Angeles came back, however, with West and Chamberlain each posting 36 points in Game 5, West leading the way with 35 points in Game 6, then a 30-point, 27-rebound performance from Chamberlain in Game 7 in a blowout victory.
The Lakers went on to fall to the Knicks in seven games of the 1970 NBA Finals, marking the second-straight year they lost the Finals in seven games and their eighth-straight Finals loss.
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1979 Bullets, Eastern Conference Finals vs. Spurs
With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, the Washington Bullets completed the first conference finals 3-1 comeback in 1979.
After beating the Hawks in the previous round, the Bullets dropped Game 1, won Game 2, then fell in Games 3 and 4 to the Spurs, who were led by star guard George Gervin.
Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and Bob Dandridge stepped up to lead the comeback in the series, winning all three remaining games by under 10 points. Dandridge totaled 37 points in the Bullets' 107-105 Game 7 win, also hitting the series-winning shot with eight seconds remaining.
Washington went on to fall in five games to the SuperSonics in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the 1978 Finals when the Bullets won.
1981 Celtics, Eastern Conference Finals vs. 76ers
For the second time in 13 years, the Celtics came back from a 3-1 playoff deficit against the 76ers in 1981.
The rivals met in the Eastern Conference Finals that year, with Boston taking down Chicago and Philadelphia beating Milwaukee to reach that stage. With wins in Game 1, Game 3 and Game 4, the 76ers moved to within one win of the Finals — but that's where they would remain.
Julius Erving's squad lost all three of the next three games by a margin no larger than two points; Larry Bird went for 32 points in Game 5, 25 in Game 6 and 23 in Game 7, where Boston squeaked by with a 90-91 win.
The Celtics went on to beat the Rockets in the NBA Finals, winning in six games.
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1995 Rockets, Western Conference Semifinals vs. Suns
In 1995, the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Rockets completed the first 3-1 playoff comeback in 14 years.
Houston, as a No. 6 seed, first upset the Karl Malone-John Stockton Utah Jazz in the first round to set up a Round 2 matchup with the Suns. As the defending NBA champions, the Rockets were on the brink of elimination by Game 4; Phoenix took a 2-0 series lead, then a 3-1 lead behind Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson and A.C. Green.
But after salvaging their season in overtime of Game 5, a 103-97 win that saw Olajuwon post a 31-and-16 double-double with a game-tying shot to force overtime, the Rockets claimed all the momentum. Olajuwon starred once again in a Game 6 win by double digits, then Houston pulled out a neck-and-neck Game 7 win.
Mario Elie's game-winning "Kiss of Death" 3-pointer in Game 7 sealed a 115-114 Rockets victory despite 46 points for Johnson and 23 rebounds for Barkley.
Houston went on to secure back-to-back titles, beating Shaquille O'Neal's Magic team in a sweep of the 1995 Finals — the Rockets also became the lowest-seeded team to ever win it all.
1997 Heat, Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Knicks
Heat-Knicks in a 1997 second-round series wasn't just notable for the 3-1 comeback. It also featured one of the more notable NBA playoff brawls, with benches clearing in Game 5 following P.J. Brown body-slamming Knicks guard Charlie Ward.
Miami, led by Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, had fallen down 3-1 in the series to the Patrick Ewing-Allan Houston-led Knicks by that point. But the fight, and its resulting suspensions, changed the outcome of the series.
Brown was suspended for the rest of the series, Ewing, Houston, and Ward were suspended for Game 6, and Larry Johnson and John Starks were suspended for Game 7. New York was short-handed on talent due to the suspensions, and the Heat took advantage, coming right back to force Game 7 behind Mourning's 28-point night in Game 5 and Hardaway's 38-point performance in Game 6.
Despite a 37-point, 11-rebound game for Ewing in Game 7, the Knicks blew the 3-1 lead, losing Game 7 101-90 as Hardaway and Mourning continued to shine. The Heat lost to Michael Jordan's Bulls in the following round.
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2003 Pistons, Eastern Conference First Round vs. Magic
In the first year of the first round being a best-of-seven series, the Pistons and Magic put on a show in 2003.
Detroit, the top seed in the East after a 50-win season, was matched up against a 42-win Orlando squad. However, the eighth seed got out to the series lead, with Tracy McGrady putting up performances of 43, 46, 29 and 27 points to lead the Magic to a 3-1 lead.
The Pistons, on the verge of elimination as the top seed, ripped off three-straight wins instead. Ben Wallace had 21 rebounds in Game 5, Chauncey Billups dropped 40 points in Game 6, and in Game 7, Billups paved the way with 37 points as Detroit completed the comeback.
The Pistons went on to fall to the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals.
2006 Suns, Western Conference First Round vs. Lakers
While the Lakers got the best of a 3-1 deficit against the Suns in 1970, Phoenix got some long-awaited revenge in 2006.
In the first round, the second-seeded Suns won Game 1 but lost the next three games to Kobe Bryant's squad, including a 99-98 Lakers win in overtime of Game 4. But Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw led the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns to a 3-1 comeback.
Diaw had a near-triple-double in Game 5, Nash dropped 32 points and 13 assists in a Game 6 overtime win, then Phoenix ran away with Game 7 as Leandro Barbosa dropped 26 points.
Phoenix went on to fall to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.
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2015 Rockets, Western Conference Semifinals vs. Clippers
In 2015, Doc Rivers became the first coach in NBA history to blow multiple 3-1 playoff leads. His Clippers squad, led by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, bested the Rockets in Games 1, 3 and 4 of a second-round series; Griffin had a triple-double in Game 1 and 34 points in Game 2. But L.A. fell apart from there.
With the James Harden-Dwight Howard duo dominating, Houston forced Game 7 with double-digit wins in Games 5 and 6 — in Game 6, the Rockets overcame a 19-point deficit as the Clippers missed 14-straight shots.
In Game 7, Harden's 31 points and eight assists led the Rockets to a 113-100 win, eliminating the Clippers.
2016 Warriors, Western Conference Finals vs. Thunder
Famously, the series that led to Kevin Durant's decision to join the Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder were on the verge of a second Finals trip in four years in 2016.
Golden State won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season, but found itself trailing 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals to Durant and Russell Westbrook. When the Thunder won Game 4, it marked the first time all season that the Warriors had lost consecutive games.
None of the first four games in the series wound up particularly close, with OKC looking strong against the NBA's best squad all season. But the Warriors answered — Curry (31 points) bested Durant (40 points) in Game 5 for a win, then Klay Thompson lit the Thunder up from deep en route to 41 points in Game 6 to fend off elimination once again.
A lower-scoring Game 7 went the Warriors' way. Curry dropped 36 points and eight assists in a 96-88 victory, keeping Golden State's dominant season alive as the defending NBA champions.
The Warriors went on to fall in the NBA Finals, but Durant signed with the team in the following offseason.
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2016 Cavaliers, NBA Finals vs. Warriors
For the second-straight round in the 2016 playoffs, a team completed a 3-1 series comeback. The first time, the Warriors were on the right end. In the NBA Finals, they blew the lead.
In what remains the only 3-1 comeback in Finals history, LeBron James' Cavaliers lost Games 1 and 2 by a wide margin, took Game 3 in a blowout, then watched Curry drop 38 points in a Game 4 victory to fall down 3-1.
Golden State was on the verge of a second-straight title, aiming to cap arguably the best season in NBA history after its 73 regular-season wins and 3-1 comeback in the Western Conference Finals. James had other plans.
He and Irving each dropped 41 points in a Game 5 win on the road, then James had 41 points and 11 assists in Game 6 to force a decisive matchup for the title.
In Game 7, the Cavaliers snuck by with clutch performances in the closing minutes, from James' legendary block of Andre Iguodala, to Irving's dagger 3-pointer to help bring Cleveland a championship.
2020 Nuggets, Western Conference First Round vs. Jazz
The Nuggets had a wild ride in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which were played in the Orlando "bubble" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Denver, the No. 3 seed in the West, managed to overcome a 57-point Donovan Mitchell performance in an overtime Game 1 win against the Jazz. But Mitchell remained on fire, leading Utah to wins in the next three games as the Nuggets fell behind 3-1. Game 4 marked the first time in NBA history that multiple players dropped 50 points in a playoff game, with Mitchell posting 51 and Jamal Murray totaling 50 for Denver.
Murray dropped a 42-8-8 stat line in a Game 5 win, then had another 50-point performance in Game 6 to keep the Nuggets alive.
In Game 7, Denver pulled out an 80-78 win behind a 30-point, 14-rebound game from Nikola Jokic, and the Nuggets completed their comeback. Mike Conley Jr. had a potential series-winning shot rim out at the buzzer for the Jazz.
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2020 Nuggets, Western Conference Semifinals vs. Clippers
Denver's ability to come back didn't end in Round 1 of the 2020 playoffs. In the following round, the Nuggets fell behind 3-1 to Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers.
Once again, however, Jokic and Murray began dominating with elimination on the line. Murray had 26 points in a Game 5 win, then Jokic went for 34 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in Game 6 to keep the Nuggets alive.
In Game 7, Denver advanced with a 104-89 win, with Murray totaling 40 points and Jokic adding 22 rebounds and 13 assists. It marked the first time in NBA history that a team had completed multiple 3-1 comebacks in one playoff run — and for the Clippers, it was especially painful. Not only was it the second time in franchise history that Los Angeles lost a 3-1 playoff lead, but it was the third blown 3-1 advantage of Rivers' head coaching career.
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2026 76ers, Eastern Conference First Round vs. Celtics
In the 2026 playoffs, the Celtics entered as the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed and a potential title threat after the return from a long-term injury for All-Star Jayson Tatum. They met a longtime rival in Round 1 — the 76ers, who emerged from the Play-In Tournament as the No. 7 seed.
Philadelphia, with plenty of talent on paper but struggling consistency in the regular season due to its stars being unavailable, began the series with former MVP center Joel Embiid sidelined due to recent appendicitis surgery. While the team's explosive backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers to a Game 2 win on the road, the Celtics were in full control of the matchup after a Game 4 blowout.
But all of a sudden, the return of Embiid changed the entire dynamic of the matchup. The big man's presence requiring constant defensive attention from Boston, create foul trouble for Celtics centers, wide-open shooters for Philadelphia and a free-flowing 76ers offense. Embiid, still playing through some pain, returned with 33 points in Game 5, and it was a brand new series despite his team's deficit.
Philadelphia proceeded to take Game 6 behind 30 points from Maxey, and in Game 7 on the road, the 76ers held on late thanks to Embiid's 34 points and Maxey's 30. For the first time since 1982, the 76ers beat the Celtics in a playoff series.
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2026 Pistons, Eastern Conference First Round vs. Magic
The Pistons enjoyed one of their best regular seasons ever in 2025-26, claiming the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed with 60 wins, a physical defense, elite play from Cade Cunningham and a breakout year for center Jalen Duren. Also owning a deep group of role players, Detroit appeared poised for a deep playoff run for the first time in decades.
Then, the Pistons ran into trouble in the first round. An Orlando team with plenty of defensive talent, plus a capable No. 1 scorer in Paolo Banchero, used its size to slow down Detroit's offense and stunningly take a 3-1 series lead as the No. 8 seed.
With Cunningham not getting much help in the shot-creating department, the Pistons' run as the team to beat in the East appeared short-lived. But they rallied — and for the first time in NBA history, two teams completed 3-1 comebacks in the same round of the same postseason.
Cunningham went toe-to-toe with Banchero for 45 points in a Game 5 win, benefitted from an ice-cold Magic offense in the second half of Game 6, then in Game 7 at home, got 32 from Cunningham and an additional 30 from veteran wing Tobias Harris, coming back to take the series.
Not only was it the Pistons' first playoff series win since 2008, but coincidentally, the series followed the exact same path as their 2003 comeback win over Orlando.
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