The Greatest Comebacks in NBA History, Ranked

James Harden led the Nets’ 24-point comeback with 38 points and 11 assists despite having to do without teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Suns built a 75-54 lead at halftime but went scoreless in the game’s last two minutes. Joe Harris added 22 points, while the Nets’ bench provided 40 critical points.

Steph Curry scored a whopping 40 points, but the Warriors gave up a 24-point lead to the Grizzlies, losing 128-119. Memphis outscored Golden State 32-13 in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant, who had recently joined the Warriors at the time, finished with 27 points but missed five free throws. Even though Golden State went on to win back-to-back titles, this was the first game where the team showed poor body language, ending their experiment with Durant.

“MVP” chants swirled around the arena for Derrick Rose during the Bulls’ 101-91 win over the Pistons. Rose tied his career-high with 39 points, shooting 48% from the field.

The Pistons gave up a 21-point third-quarter lead to the Bulls and were outscored 34-9 fourth quarter. The Bulls became the top-seed team in the East, and Rose became the team’s first MVP since Michael Jordan in 1998.

The Mavericks extended their home winning streak to 14 games after coming back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Raptors 115-113 in overtime. Dirk Nowitzki hit the game-winner with his vintage fadeaway jumper.

Nowitzki became the Mavericks’ first MVP, leading the Mavs all the way to the 2006 NBA Finals, though they were unable to defeat the Miami Heat for the title.

Remember how basketball is a game of runs? Well, Kobe Bryant and the lakers went on a 20-0 run in this epic game’s last six minutes.

Bryant ended the night with a whopping 42 points, scoring 13 of the Lakers’ 20 points during the run, and capping off the 25-point comeback 108-102.

The Celtics invited players from previous championship teams, and they were treated to the largest comeback of the 2016 NBA season. Isaiah Thomas led all scorers with 21 points in the Celtics’ 98-88 victory.

The 26-point comeback included a 25-5 third-quarter run by Boston, followed by a 35-point fourth quarter.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving will go down in history as one of the best duos in NBA history. However, the stalwart Hawks managed to fight off 42 points from Irving and a 30-point triple-double from James to cap off a 126-125 victory.

The Hawks came back from 26 points in front of a sold-out Atlanta crowd. The crowd may have been there to see the defending champs the Cavaliers, but instead, they were treated to a 44-15 fourth quarter by the Hawks.

The Mavericks outscored the Suns for three straight quarters, entering the fourth with an 85-67 lead. The Suns didn’t go down easy, coming back from a 26-point deficit thanks to an outrageous 30-12 fourth quarter.

It took going to overtime for the Suns to seal the comeback, 109-108. Jason Kidd led the Suns with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

The 1999 NBA lockout is a blur, but it featured one of the largest comebacks in the history of the NBA. In the first quarter, the Lakers were outscored 32-10. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 37-17.

By the end of the game, the Lakers walked away with a 106-102 victory, cementing a 26-point comeback. Kobe Bryant led the team with 27 points, while Shaquille O’Neal was held to 10 points.

The Heat were on a 23-game win streak when they met Cleveland for a showdown. LeBron James was making another trip back to play against his former team after leaving for the Heat, and the Cavs almost spoiled James’ homecoming and 20+ game win streak. James didn’t allow either, leading the Heat to a 98-95 victory, capping the 27-point comeback.

James called it one of the best comebacks he has been a part of, scoring 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals during the Heats’ 30-18 fourth quarter.

“BEAT LA” chants were birthed in the Boston Garden, and the Clippers heard those same chants during their 123-112 victory.

However, the chants from the homeside supporters turned to boos as the Clippers returned from a 28-point deficit. Montrez Harrell led the Clippers in scoring.

The Warriors defeated the Bucks 106-105, erasing a 31-point first-half deficit with a group of runs in the fourth quarter.

It was the largest comeback in NBA history at the time, a game that became cemented in the collective memory.

This is the only game on our list where the team who made a comeback didn’t win and still lost big.

The Kings knocked off the Lakers in game three of the Western Conference Finals 103-90, but most people remember the Lakers’ 14-0 run in just 50 seconds.

The Bucks of the late ’70s were fans of historical comebacks. This time they were on the better side of a 30-point comeback, defeating the Hawks 117-115.

The second half of this game featured 40-point quarters from both teams. The Bucks won the fourth quarter, outscoring the Hawks 41-11 after being outscored 40-21 in the third quarter.

Before becoming a basketball legend in China, Stephon Marbury was one of the best players in the NBA, as proven by his 34-point performance in the Suns’ 29-point comeback over the Celtics.

Marbury scored 21 points in the second half and knocked down a couple of three-pointers in the final stretch.

The Raptors’ 30-point comeback to win 110-107 was the largest since 2010. Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 32 points, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter, one less than the Mavs’ entire team.

Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse described it as something he has “never seen before.”

The Blazers only needed six players to defeat the Kings 136-131, coming back from being down as much as 30 points.

All five starters for the Blazers played 40+ minutes, while three players never came out of the game. Anfernee Simons led the Blazers in scoring with 37 points, knocking down seven three-pointers in the process.

The first playoff matchup on our list. Steph Curry led the Warriors in their 123-119 overtime victory, on their way to completing the first-round sweep.

Curry hit a late clutch three-pointer that sent the game into overtime, completing a 20-point fourth-quarter comeback.

It was the greatest regular season comeback in Lakers franchise history. Kobe Bryant scored 21 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Lakers’ 27-point comeback.

The Lakers were down 27 points to start the fourth quarter and were even booed in the Staples Center at halftime. The 44-15 quarter for the Lakers cemented their 105-103 victory.

With only 2,000 fans in attendance, the Celtics came back from 32 points to defeat the Spurs 143-140 in overtime.

Jayson Tatum scored a career-high 60-points with 32 points entering the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Kings’ 35-point comeback over the Bulls was the biggest comeback at the time since 1996. The Bulls led 79-44 in the third quarter, and the Kings cut it to 69-88 to start the fourth quarter.

Tyreke Evans led the Kings in scoring with 23 points and had a personal 9-3 run down the stretch to seal the win for the Kings.

The Wizards walked into the second half with a 30-point lead over the Clippers, leading by as much as 35 at one point. The second half was much different.

The Clippers went on to outscore the Wizards 80-49 in the second half to claim a 116-115 victory. Luke Kennard scored seven points in the last nine seconds to give the Clippers their first lead of the second half.

The Bullets came back from 21 points down to defeat the Warriors 66-63 in game three of the BAA Finals (Basketball Association of America, it was rebranded to the NBA in 1949).

It would remain in the record books as the largest comeback in the Finals until 2008.

Avery Bradley saved the Celtics from being swept and completed the 21-point second-half comeback with a last-second three-pointer.

The Celtics’ 111-108 win gave them an extra game in the Eastern Conference Finals, playing without MVP candidate at the time, Isaiah Thomas.

Our first game from the NBA Bubble saga. Luka Dončić led the Mavs to a 135-133 victory over the Clippers with a legendary triple-double performance capped off by a buzzer-beater stepback three-pointer.

The Mavs were down by as much as 21 points in the second quarter. Dončić finished with 43 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists, and two steals.

The Clippers came back from 22 points down thanks to a late rally led by Darren Collison.

The 101-99 victory by the Clippers tied the series at two apiece, but the Thunder would go on to win the next two games on their way to the Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs were down by as much as 24 points before going on a 24-0 run in the third quarter, to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The 96-86 victory was led by Tony Parker’s 23 points and ten assists. The Spurs would sweep the Clippers, advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

The big three of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh hadn’t even played ten games yet, but the hype to beat them was already there.

Paul Millsap dropped 46 points on the Heat, 11 points coming in the final 28 seconds of regulation. Millsap’s surge erased the 22-point deficit, claiming an overtime 114-116 win.

The Thunder faced elimination when they came back from down 25 points in the second half to defeat the Jazz 107-99.

Russell Westbrook scored 33 of his 45 points in the second half, giving another MVP performance. The Jazz still took the series 4-2, winning the next game.

Some of LeBron James’s most memorable performances came against the Pacers. James finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, and two blocks in the Cavs’ 119-114 victory.

The 26-point comeback is the largest halftime comeback since the Bullets in 1948.

The Hawks started the second half down 22 and the fourth quarter down 18. However, Trae Young and the rest of the Hawks didn’t say die and rallied from 26-points down to defeat the Sixers 109-106.

The victory was proved worthwhile as the Hawks won the series in game seven, heading to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Grizzlies came back from being down 26 points in Minnesota, mainly thanks to Desmond Bane’s seven three-pointers.

The 104-95 victory was a part of one of the best series of the 2022 playoffs. Ja Morant didn’t have a great game, but he averaged 30 for the entire series.

The Clippers opened the first round of the 2012 Western Conference playoffs with a 27-point comeback over the Grizzlies, taking game one 99-98 in overtime.

It only took the Clippers nine minutes to clip the Grizzlies’ 24-point lead in the second half.

The Lakers trailed 43-14 at one point in the second quarter, but chopped the lead down to 11 by halftime thanks to a 22-6 run in the last eight minutes of the half.

In the second half, the Lakers’ hall of fame lineup began clicking, completing the sweep and advancing to the Western Conference Finals. James Worthy led the Lakers in scoring in the 99-97 road victory.

The Celtics were the first team in NBA history to come back from 26 points down in the playoffs.

The Celtics trailed by 21 to begin the fourth quarter and went on to outscore the Nets 41-16 to seal a 94-90 victory. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 28 points.

Before the Jazz and Bulls met in the Finals for Jordan’s last dance, the Jazz had one of the best comebacks in a half. The Bulls led for 35 minutes of the game and built a 41-19 lead in the first half.

The Jazz surged in the second half, outscoring the Bulls 56-37 and fighting off Jordan’s 40-point performance with a 101-93 victory.

This comeback is memorable because of the individual performance by Tracy McGrady. With the Rockets trailing by eight points, McGrady scored 13 points in 35 seconds on a run that became historic.

It remains as of the most memorable moments in NBA history, not just for the comeback value. McGrady’s last shot was a game-winning three-pointer sealing the Rockets’ 81-80 victory.

The Blazers were looking at a 67-44 third-quarter deficit, down 2-1 in the series to the Mavericks.

Brandon Roy, one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA, led the 23-point comeback with 18 of 24 points in the fourth quarter. The 84-82 victory was stamped after Roy gave the Blazers the game’s final lead.

Another individual performance that lives rent-free in our minds. Reggie Millier’s famous (infamous for Knicks’ fans) eight points in nine seconds included two free throws, a steal, and two three-pointers.

Spike Lee and the rest of Madison Garden were left stunned while Miller hit the choke gesture. The Pacers won 107-105.

With seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Jazz saw themselves down by a disheartening 25 points.

The Jazz roared during the final 19 minutes of the game, outscoring the Blazers 44-19.

The Warriors didn’t have to make a huge comeback, only down eight points in the fourth quarter.

But, the 108-101 victory was the turning point for the 73-win Warriors, who eventually became the first team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

The Celtics became the first team in NBA Finals history to overcome a 15+ deficit after the first quarter.

The deficit they conquered was 24 points in the second half to defeat the Lakers 97-91 on their quest for a 17th NBA title.

The Clippers went into Oracle Arena and defeated the defending champs 135-131 with the largest comeback in the history of the NBA.

Lou Williams led the second-half comeback with 36 points and said after the game, “it’s not a record we wanted to have.” Nonetheless, it remains the best playoff comeback performance in NBA history.

It was a great way to end the year for the Mavericks. The Mavs were looking at a 70-41 deficit before claiming their first lead seven minutes into the fourth quarter.

Jason Terry led the charge, scoring 24 of his 29 points in the second half. The Mavericks finished the game with a 107-100 victory, outsourcing the Timberwolves 67-38 in the second half.

It was 70-36 at halftime, with the Jazz walking into the locker room to boos from the home crowd. Then they woke up.

The Jazz established themselves in the record books with the largest comeback ever in the history of the NBA. The Jazz outscored the Nuggets 71-33 in the second half to complete their 107-103 victory.