There are three precedents in NBA history of teams, first of the Boston Celtics, capable of forcing Game 7 after losing the first three games of a playoff series. All 3 of these teams then lost the deciding act of the series.
NBA Finals 1951: New York Knicks vs. Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings), then winners 79-75 in Game 7.
1994 Western Semifinals: Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz, then winners 91-81 in Game 7. Denver had been, in the previous round, the first #8 seed to beat the #1 seed in NBA Playoff history (comeback from 0-2 in a best-of-5 series).
Western 1st round 2003: Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks, then winners 107-95 in Game 7 with a break of 36-22 in the last 12′. In Game 4 the Blazers kept their season alive thanks to a 21-0 third quarter record.
Unlike the Knicks, Nuggets and Blazers, Boston will be first to play the deciding game at home.
2023-05-28 18:58:13
#previous #NBA #history
