The first two games of six first-round playoff matchups are done and dusted, with only two series heading into Game 3 tied. This might be a bad indicator of how the playoffs will go for the six teams who are currently down 0-2, with the Lakers, Suns, and 76ers in this boat while hoping to make a deep playoff run.
The all-time number of playoff series results that started 0-2 has led to just 33 wins and 416 losses, a staggeringly low 7.3%. Some recent examples of 0-2 comebacks come from the 2023 Warriors, who lost their opening two games against the Sacramento Kings last season. We have seen six teams overcome 0-2 deficits in the last five seasons, so this stat isn’t bulletproof.
The Lakers, Suns, and 76ers aren’t the only teams hoping to overcome these historic odds. The Magic are also currently trailing the Cavaliers 0-2 in their first-round matchup, but the Magic didn’t come into the season with title aspirations, unlike the other three franchises.
How Do These Franchises Fare While Down 0-2?
The Lakers are currently trailing 0-2 to the Nuggets in the first round, blowing a shocking 20-point lead in Game 2 before being gamed at the buzzer by Jamal Murray. The franchise has overcome two 0-2 deficits before in history. The last one was in 2004, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in their final season as teammates, beating the Spurs 4-2 in the second round. The 1969 Lakers, with Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West, also achieved this feat.
The Lakers have ended on the wrong side of a 2-0 lead twice before, losing to the Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals and the 1993 Suns in the first round. LeBron James has led three 0-2 comebacks in the playoffs while never having squandered that lead, so the Lakers will be optimistic. The Nuggets are 7-0 in the playoffs with a 2-0 series lead.
The Philadelphia 76ers are trailing the New York Knicks 0-2 after a contentious Game 2 loss. The 76ers have never pulled off a 0-2 series comeback in their history, blowing a 2-0 lead in the 1977 NBA Finals. The Knicks have blown two 2-0 leads before, both happening in the Eastern Conference Finals. The first was in 1971 to the Washington Bullets while the second was to the 1993 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.
The Phoenix Suns hope their generational offensive talents can lead them to a comeback after falling 0-2 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Suns had only completed one 0-2 comeback before their aforementioned win over the Lakers in 1993. They’ve blown four 2-0 leads, with the last two instances coming in the 2021 NBA Finals against the Bucks and the 2022 second round against the Mavericks.
This is only the second time in franchise history that the Wolves have a 2-0 series lead in the playoffs, with the last instance coming in the 2004 first round when they beat the Denver Nuggets. They don’t want to end up on the wrong side of history and will be eager to close the Suns out and book a berth in Round 2.
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