In the NBA playoffs, a best-of-7, 3-0 series lead guarantees victory. No team in the long history of the league has come out of a 3-0 series deficit to win the series.
For reference, an NBA team with a 7-3-0 series lead has a 154-0 record. I repeat, 154 wins. Zero losses.
Of the 154 teams that have won three straight games in a series, 15 have won two games in a row heading into Game 6, and four have won three straight games heading into Game 7. But four straight wins have proven elusive.
In 2023, the No. 2 seed Celtics lost the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals to the No. 8 seed Heat to force a Game 7. Despite Boston's best efforts, history was on Miami's side, winning Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
In 2024, the Nuggets, Thunder and Timberwolves all blew 3-0 leads in their opening games and went on to win. Here's how those teams ended up surviving what were historically insurmountable series deficits:
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Teams facing 3-0 deficits in the NBA playoffs force a Game 7
Four teams have surviving 3-0 deficits in the NBA playoffs to force a Game 7. The most recent example before Boston in 2023 was 20 years ago, when Portland forced a Game 7 after losing in three games to Dallas in the first round.
| Year | round | Series Results |
| 2023 | Eastern Conference Finals | Heat beats Celtics 4-3 |
| 2003 | Western Conference First Round | The Mavericks beat the Trail Blazers 4-3 |
| 1994 | Western Conference Semifinals | Jazz beat Nuggets 4-3 |
| 1951 | NBA Finals | Royals beat Knicks 4-3 |
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Teams facing 3-0 deficits in the NBA playoffs force a Game 6
In the NBA playoffs, 11 teams have lost three straight series and then been eliminated in Game 6. The most recent example came in 2022, when the Raptors were eliminated in six games after losing three straight to the 76ers.
| Year | round | Series Results |
| 2022 | Eastern Conference First Round | 76ers beat Raptors 4-2 |
| 2015 | Eastern Conference First Round | Bulls beat Bucks 4-2 |
| 2013 | Western Conference First Round | Thunder beats Rockets 4-2 |
| 2013 | Eastern Conference First Round | Knicks beat Celtics 4-2 |
| 2010 | Eastern Conference Finals | Celtics beat Magic 4-2 |
| 2007 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | The Pistons beat the Bulls 4-2 |
| 2000 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Pacers beat 76ers 4-2 |
| 1996 | NBA Finals | Bulls beat SuperSonics 4-2 |
| 1962 | Western Division Final | Lakers beat Pistons 4-2 |
| 1949 | NBA Finals | Lakers beat Capitals 4-2 |
| 1947 | Semi-finals | Stags beat Capitols 4-2 |
