The Denver Nuggets' 2020 postseason will go down in the history books.
After becoming the 12th team and 10th different franchise in NBA Playoffs history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Utah Jazz, they did it for a second time in the Conference Semifinals against the LA Clippers.
The 3-1 comeback against the Clippers helps them book their fourth Conference Finals appearance in franchise history and the first since 2009.
With their comeback, teams are now 13-244 all-time when facing a 3-1 series deficit. Only one of those 13 instances came in the NBA Finals.
Here's when, where and how all of these comebacks happened.
Denver Nuggets, 2020
Opponent and round: LA Clippers, Western Conference Semifinals
The comeback against the Clippers makes the Nuggets the only franchise in NBA history to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in the same postseason. The win improved their record to 6-0 when facing elimination in the 2020 playoffs.
This historic feat helped them joined the likes of Boston and Houston as the other organisations to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit more than once. On the other hand, the Clippers become the third franchsie (Philadelphia, Phoenix) to blow a 3-1 lead twice (also in 2015).
Denver Nuggets, 2020
Opponent and round: Utah Jazz, Western Conference First Round
Headlined by the high-scoring duel between Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray, Game 7 of this series was a low-scoring affair, with the final score being 80-78.
This comeback is one of three to occur in the first round of the postseason and it's the first time the Nuggets have achieved the feat.
Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016
Opponent and round: Golden State Warriors, NBA Finals
The only time in NBA history that a team has come back from 3-1 in the championship series.
The Cavaliers won their first championship in franchise history and brought the first pro sports title to Cleveland in 52 years.
Golden State Warriors, 2016
Opponent and round: Oklahoma City Thunder, Western Conference Finals
After winning an NBA record 73 games in the regular season, the Warriors' season was on the line. By completing the comeback, the Warriors advanced to their second consecutive NBA Finals.
It is one of three 3-1 comebacks to be achieved in the Conference Finals of the playoffs.
Houston Rockets, 2015
Opponent and round: LA Clippers, Western Conference Semifinals
The Rockets are one of only three teams in NBA history to complete this improbable comeback twice. They did it first in 1995 as the defending champions against the Phoenix Suns.
Their comeback against the Clippers was highlighted by a Game 6 come-from-behind win where Houston stunned Los Angeles 40-15 in the fourth quarter, thus erasing a 19-point deficit to eventually win, 119-107.
Phoenix Suns, 2006
Opponent and round: Los Angeles Lakers, Western Conference First Round
After losing Game 4 in heartbreaking fashion, courtesy of a game-winner from Kobe Bryant, the Suns came together and dominated the next three games. They won the final three games of the series by an average margin of 18.7 points.
That postseason, the Suns advanced to the Conference Finals for the second season in a row. However, they lost once again, this time to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks.
The Suns are one of only two teams to have been on both sides of a 3-1 comeback. In fact, they are one of only three teams to have blown a 3-1 lead twice (1970, 1995).
Detroit Pistons, 2003
Opponent and round: Orlando Magic, Eastern Conference First Round
Through four games, the Pistons had no answer for Trach McGrady, who had averaged 36.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals on 51.6% shooting from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc.
The final three games, however, were a different story.
The Pistons turned up their defence, holding the Hall of Famer to 25.7 points per game on a far less efficient 36.1% shooting from the field.
In 2003, Detroit would make its first Conference Finals appearance since 1991. It would also be the first of a franchise-record six straight Conference Finals appearances (2003-08).
Miami Heat, 1997
Opponent and round: New York Knicks, Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Heat-Knicks rivalry of the late 1990s, which saw the two teams face each other in four consecutive postseasons, tipped off in historic fashion.
The first four games were close encounters, decided only by an average margin of six points. The Heat found their offensive touch later in the series, though, and won the last three games by an average of 10.3 points. The Heat went from averaging 79.0 points in the first four games to scoring 97.3 in the final three games.
Houston Rockets, 1995
Opponent and round: Phoenix Suns, Western Conference Semifinals
As the defending champions, the Rockets were set to get eliminated, but as they had done all season long, they battled to the very end. This comeback came right down to the last seconds - 7.1, to be precise — with Mario Elie's famous "kiss of death" serving as the knockout punch.
This was the first time that a team had won two games on the road while completing a 3-1 comeback. That happened because the Rockets were the sixth seed, the lowest-ever to be crowned champion.
Boston Celtics, 1981
Opponent and round: Philadelphia 76ers, Eastern Conference Finals
En route to the first championship of the Larry Bird era in Boston during the 1980s, the Celtics made history by becoming only the second team ever to go on to win a title after coming back from 3-1 in a series.
After a series that was capped off by Bird's bank shot, the Celtics would advance to the NBA Finals and defeat the Rockets in six games.
Here's 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell talking about the epic series against the 76ers:
"It was the greatest series I've ever played in and in my opinion, maybe the greatest series leading up to a championship that two teams have ever played."
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 13, 2020
1981 ECF Game 7 is on #ClassicCeltics tonight at 7PM pic.twitter.com/PUrdBF4KiF
Washington Bullets, 1979
Opponent and round: San Antonio Spurs, Eastern Conference Finals
This was the first instance in NBA history that the defending champion was down 3-1, but the Bullets decided to flip that around and become the third team ever to come back from being 3-1 down.
The Bullets won Game 7 by overcoming George Gervin's 42-point night, as well as a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, behind 37 points from Bobby Dandridge.
Los Angeles Lakers, 1970
Opponent and round: Phoenix Suns, Western Division Semifinals
In just their second season in the NBA, the Suns made some noise. They had the Western Conference Champions - the Los Angeles Lakers - with their backs against the walls. Unfortunately, they couldn't complete the series and advance.
Boston Celtics, 1968
Opponent and round: Philadelphia 76ers, Eastern Division Finals.
Led by the mighty Wilt Chamberlain, the defending champions had the Celtics dynasty down 3-1 in the East. Unfortunately for them, another chapter was written in one of the most famous rivalries in NBA Playoffs history, as Boston became the first team ever to make the unlikely comeback.
The Celtics went on to win the 1968 NBA title, their 10th title in franchise history.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.
