Do you think the Celtics will come back? Here’s what history says.
Boston has come back from a 3-2 series deficit six times in franchise history, the most of any team.
In NBA history, teams have come back from a 3-2 series deficit just 54 times out of 338 possible instances, a success rate of 16 percent.
Celtics-Sixers
The Celtics have done it six times so far in their history, more than any other team, and they’re looking to do it again this year against the 76ers.
After falling 115-103 in Game 5 on Tuesday, Boston finds itself behind 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second year in a row.
Last year the team was able to bounce back against the Bucks, and won the series at home in Game 7. This year, the Celtics might once again have a chance to win a Game 7 at home, but they first need to beat the Sixers in Philadelphia on Thursday.
Luckily for Boston, they happen to have a penchant for coming back against Philly in the playoffs.
The Sixers have only given up a 3-2 series lead twice in franchise history, and in both of those instances they were playing the Celtics.
In both of those series as well, Boston wasn’t just bouncing back from down 3-2 but coming back from down 3-1.
The first time Boston recovered from a 3-2 deficit against Philadelphia was in 1968.
In Game 5 in Philly, Sam Jones and John Havlicek combined for 66 points, and then went for 48 in Games 6 and 7. The duo averaged a combined 52.3 points per game over the final three games of the series against the Wilt Chamberlain-led Sixers.
The last time around in 1981, Larry Bird and Robert Parrish topped Julius Erving and Darryl Dawkins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bird, in his second-year in the league, averaged 27 points per game in the series, with a series high of 32 points in Game 5.
That series also featured second-half comebacks in Games 5, 6, and 7 for Boston, who would eventually go on to beat the Rockets in the Finals.
Aside from the two Sixers series, and last year’s Eastern Conference semis against the Bucks, the Celtics have come back from 3-2 against the Lakers twice and Hawks once.
Boston came back in the Finals in those two series with Los Angeles and in the Eastern Conference semis against Atlanta.
Now that you know the Boston’s historical success coming back from down 3-2, and in particular their success against Philadelphia, we want to know what you think about their chances for the rest of this series.
Lets us know in the poll below if you think the Celtics can make the comeback for a seventh time in franchise history.
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