Since 1969, there have been three teams to come back from an 0-2 deficit to win the NBA Finals. The last team to do it was the 2006 Miami Heat who started down 0-2 to Dallas before winning four straight. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1977 when Bill Walton's Portland Trail Blazers beat Philadelphia 4-2. Ironically, the first time a team came back down 0-2 was when the Boston Celtics took the 1969 NBA Finals in seven games over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 0-2 deficit that the 2008 Lakers face shouldn't faze them. In 1985 the NBA changed the scheduling of the NBA Finals to allow the team with the best record to host games one, two, six and seven. Luckily for the Lakers, they'll use games three, four and five to try and regain the series lead.
Los Angeles is excited to return home where they have seen a lot of success this post season. The Lake-show has won all eight of their playoff games and haven't lost at home since March 28, giving them a blistering 13 game winning streak. Not only are the Lakers happy to return home, they know that the Celtics aren't happy about going on the road. Boston did have the best record on the road during the regular season (31-10), but they are 2-7 away from the TD Banknorth Garden this post season.
One thing for certain is that Los Angeles needs to win game three. No team has come back from a 3-0 dficit to win a playoff series, let alone the NBA Finals.
The Lakers fans are going to be all over the refs tonight based on how the calls went in games one and two. In the first two games, the Celtics have attempted 73 foul shots while the lakers have shot 38. The Lakers have been whistled for 57 personal fouls and the Celtics only 43. It doesn't mean the refs are favoring the home team, but maybe the aggressive nature that the Lakers have played with in the first two games will be tolerated a little more by the officials out on the West Coast.
Tonight's game three will be the biggest game of the series. TV ratings for the NBA Finals have been up from last year, but are still falling short of expectations -- tonight should draw a big audience.
Maybe this game three can live up to legendary game three's of the past like Jerry West's game winner in 1962 or Michael Jordan's OT comeback win on the Lakers in '91 or MJ's triple overtime thriller versus Charles Barkley in '93. Or in the most recent 0-2 NBA Finals comeback when Dwyane Wade lead an unstoppable 13 point comeback with 6:34 remaining.
It seems as if greatness rises to the occasion during game three of the NBA Finals. Maybe Kobe Bryant will have some greatness in store for us tonight. Or maybe the Celtics ignore their road woes and get one step closer to the title. We shall see, tonight at 9:00 ET on ABC.
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