Luka Doncic's 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists weren't enough to help the Dallas Mavericks hold a candle to the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday at TD Garden, falling to 0-2.
The Celtics are currently priced at -900 to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, with the Mavericks at +600, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Though the series looks winnable, the Mavericks aren't completely out of the running heading into Game 3 on Wednesday at the American Airlines Center.
There have been five times in NBA history where a visiting team has lost the first two games of the NBA Finals but finished the series with the trophy. In other words, there's still hope for the Mavericks.
Unfortunately, Dallas had an unlucky ending to the series in which the team came back from a 2-0 deficit to win. In 2006, the Mavericks lost in six games in the NBA Finals after the Miami Heat won four straight games.
Here are the top 5 teams that have won after being down 0-2:
Milwaukee Bucks (2021)
In the 2021 NBA Finals, the Bucks suffered consecutive losses to the Phoenix Suns. However, under the direction of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks bounced back in six games to claim the championship trophy. During the four-game winning streak, the power forward averaged 37.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)
The Cavaliers are the only team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Led by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Cleveland upset the Golden State Warriors, who were down 73-9 in the regular season, in Game 7, winning 93-89 on Irving's 3-pointer with under a minute to play.
Miami Heat (2006)
The Heat lost the first two games of the 2006 NBA Finals to the Mavericks, who led by nine points going into the fourth quarter of Game 3. Miami outscored Dallas 30-19 in the final 12 minutes to seal the win, and the Heat went on to win the series behind Dwyane Wade, who scored 157 points in the final four games.
Portland Trail Blazers (1977)
The Trail Blazers won their first and only championship in franchise history with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1977 NBA Finals. Bill Walton, who passed away last month, averaged 16.5 points, 19.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the four-game winning streak and was named Finals MVP.
Boston Celtics (1969)
After losing the first two games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston won Game 7 by two points in the final game of their 11 championships and the final game for legendary center Bill Russell, who also served as manager. Russell had 6 points, 21 rebounds and 6 assists in the win.
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