The Celtics find themselves in a deep hole after dropping back-to-back games to the New York Knicks to start the second round, but have Boston recovered from the 2-0 series deficit?
Things have gone from bad to worse for the defending champions who find themselves in the Almighty Pickles following Wednesday’s Game 2 defeat at the hands of Atlantic division rivals.
New York became the first team in NBA history to erase a 20-point deficit with back-to-back playoff games and stunning events, with the Knicks in the driver’s seat back to Madison Square Garden.
It may be surprising that the Celtics are still making odds in the Sportsbook to win the series, but from a league history perspective, there certainly are odds piling up against them.
Of the total 463 playoff series featuring a 2-0 lead, 92.7% (429) won, while just 7.3% (34) mounted a successful comeback.
Has the Celtics ever recovered from the 2-0 series deficit?
Yes, the Celtics have it. In fact, they are two of the 34 teams that successfully recovered from the 2-0 series deficit of history.
The latest comeback came in 2017 when Boston went 2-0 to the Chicago Bulls in their first round.
Boston finished as the top seed at the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2008, starting the series with eight seeded Bulls backfoot.
It marked the second opportunity in NBA history when the NO 1 seed dropped the first two games against the eighth seed.
Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and former Celtic legend Rajon Rondo were causing all sorts of problems for Boston as the series moved to United Center.
That’s when the revival began. At the time head coach Brad Stevens made many adjustments in the starting lineup and rotation, bringing the victory he highlighted on the road in Game 3.
As Boston scored a 17-point victory in Illinois, the five Celtics finished with double-digit points and held a great opportunity in Game 4 to regain their home court advantage.
Leading with Isaiah Thomas’ 33 points and seven assists, the Celtics leveled up the series and led for the first time in Game 5 thanks to the same output from Thomas’ 24 and Avery Bradley.
Returning to Chicago with a chance to put the final claw in ffin, Boston won with an incredible 22 points, and the team advanced to the second round.
Watch: Game 6’s Celtic Stop Bulls will erase 2-0 series deficits in 2017
The first opportunity for Boston to recover from the 2-0 series hole was in 1969. It’s the biggest stage of everything as the Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
The series is considered one of the biggest turmoil in league history as the aging Celtics overcome the big three of Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West.
The Celtics managed to finish as the four Eastern seeds of that season, and even the finals could be considered slim at best.
Los Angeles won the first two games. Both were close encounters at the Forum in Inglewood, California. West scored 53 points in Game 1 and 41 points in Game 2.
Bill Russell and John Havelisek led the way to Boston as the series returned to Massachusetts and the Celtics returned shortly after their second straight win.
The Lakers won Game 5 before the Celtics ruled Game 6. Russell kept Chamberlain quiet throughout, scoring just 8 points and setting up a delicious Game 7 clash.
In Game 7 on the Road, the Celtics became the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 2-0 series deficit and win the championship. This is a feat later achieved by the Portland Trail Blazers (1977), the Miami Heat (2006), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and the Milwaukee Bucks (2021).
Boston also won Game 7 in the NBA Finals first, marking the final championship of the Russell Dynasty.
Watch: Lakers Celtic Game 7 Highlights from the 1969 NBA Finals
A comeback was not impossible and was previously made, as the team appears to bounce back at the Big Apple on Saturday night, as Celtics fans are looking for a bit of hope.
Boston is always 1-3 in the series after losing their first two games at home. So there are still many reasons to suggest that the hole you dug yourself is too deep to get out.
The only winning series in that scenario was against the Bulls in 2017. The Celtics were wiped out by the Bucks in 1983, lost five to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017, and seven times to the Miami Heat in 2023.
Of the 43 road teams that took a 2-0 series lead in NBA history, 38 won and five people lost. It’s not over until it’s finished, but it’s certainly a difficult battle.
