Five teams that overcame a 2-0 hole in the NBA Finals

Teams are 5-31 when they go down 2-0 in the NBA Finals (best-of-seven series format). 

The Mavericks are trying to become the sixth team to go the distance. While the odds are stacked heavily against them, they could look for inspiration from two teams in just the last decade who pulled off the comeback.

Incidentally, all five teams lost the first two games on the road, much like Luka Doncic's Mavs.

Milwaukee Bucks (2021)

The Bucks dropped the first two games to the Chris Paul-led Suns by double-digit margins. It seemed all hope was lost. That was until Giannis Antetokounmpo went into beast mode, averaging 37.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists through the next four wins, including a historic 50-point, five-block outing in the Game 6 closeout. Who could forget Jrue Holiday's clutch steal in the decisive Game 5? 

Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)

The Cavaliers overcame not just a 2-0 deficit but a 3-1 hole to stun the 73-win Warriors. In the final three games, LeBron James (36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 3.0 blocks) and Kyrie Irving (30 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals) put up absurd numbers, becoming the first duo to each average over 30 points during a three-game stretch in the shot clock era of the finals.  

Miami Heat (2006)

After getting outscored 34-16 in the third quarter of Game 3, the Heat, down 77-68, were on the brink of surrendering a 3-0 lead to Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks. That was until Dwyane Wade took over. In the fourth, Wade scored 15 points as Miami outscored Dallas 30-19 to steal the game, 98-96. Wade would tally 157 points in the final four games to help the Heat capture their first franchise title. 

Portland Trail Blazers (1977)

The Blazers were riding high off their 4-0 sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals as Bill Walton outdueled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a clash for the ages. However, they ran into a juggernaut of a Sixers team boasting the highest-scoring duo in the league of Julius Erving and Doug Collins. 

After being overwhelmed in the first two games, the Blazers regained their mojo when they returned home, beating the Sixers by a combined margin of 54 points in Games 3 and 4. 

The final two games were nail-biters but Walton's Blazers prevailed stunningly. In the series-clinching Game 6, Finals MVP Walton put up an absurd stat line of 20 points, 23 rebounds, eight blocks and seven assists.

Boston Celtics (1969)

Bill Russell's swan song was in danger of ending in a whimper, not to mention his perfect 20-0 record in winner-take-all games (NCAA Tournaments included). 

The Lakers, the overwhelming favorites, jumped out to a 2-0 lead against an aging Celtics squad, and the writing was on the wall. 

But Russell's winning intangibles came through in the final five games of a series widely regarded as the greatest ever. Russell had six points, 21 rebounds and six assists in Game 7 as the C's prevailed, 108-106. As is well documented, Jerry West became the first losing player to be named Finals MVP.

Will the Mavericks join those teams in the history books? At least one of their players, Irving, knows what it takes to overcome a 2-0 finals deficit.

Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals tips off Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET.