Defending the NBA title is not an easy task. That’s why the teams that manage to pull off back-to-back NBA Champions runs, or three-peats, are given the utmost respect by the media and fans.
The Golden State Warriors are the current defending champions of the NBA, but they are down 0-2 vs. the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs. Speaking of which, since 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Toronto Raptors have trailed 0-2 in a playoff series. All the teams were defending their respective titles, but no one could do it.
Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at how each team succumbed to the pressure of being down 0-2 when they were the defending champions of the league.
2011 NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers (0) vs. Dallas Mavericks (4)
2012 NBA Playoffs: Dallas Mavericks (0) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4)
2017 NBA Playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers (1) vs. Golden State Warriors (4)
2020 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors (3) vs. Boston Celtics (4)
The 2011 Lakers were outplayed by the Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals. In the 2012 NBA playoffs, the Mavericks got a taste of their own medicine, but in the first round of the playoffs.
After five years, fans saw a similar incident when the Cavaliers were destroyed by the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals. The last defending champion to lose a playoff series after trailing 0-2 was the Raptors in the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
The Golden State Warriors Are Trailing 0-2 In The First Round vs. The Sacramento Kings
Being the sixth seed in the 2022-23 NBA season, most do not have high expectations from the Golden State Warriors in the postseason.
But to say the least, fans thought the Dubs would at least make it out of the first round against the inexperienced Sacramento Kings. Well, they have been proven wrong so far, as the Warriors are currently down 0-2 vs. the Kings.
Moreover, with Draymond Green out for Game 3, the Warriors are expected to trail the series 0-3.
If history is any indicator, the Warriors will lose the series, as they have already lost the first two games of a playoff series as the defending champions of the league.
Can Stephen Curry and co. break the cycle and make a stunning comeback in the series? We will find out in the coming days. As of now, the odds are stacked against the Warriors.
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