Is it useless to win 60+ in the regular season? Both Cavaliers suffered a 20-point comeback, both falling behind 0-2 at home

The two groups in the Eastern Conference semi-finals have played two games. What no one expected was that the Cavaliers and the Celtics, both teams that both won more than 60 wins in the regular season, encountered a 0-2-delay at home. Not only that, they also suffered a 20-point comeback, and the Celtics were reversed by 20 points in two consecutive games. It is also worth mentioning that in the first 6 games of the East and West semi-finals, the home team had a record of 0 wins and 6 losses, while the away team had a record of 6 wins and 0 losses.

Knicks completed a big reversal when they were 20 points behind in two consecutive games, and became the only team since statistics in the 1997-98 season. In addition, the Pacers not only completed a 20-point reversal against the Cavaliers, but also completed a 20-point reversal against the Bucks in the fifth game in the first round.

The Pacers have long been able to lead 2-0 against the Cavaliers, because they achieved a record of 3 wins and 1 loss against the Cavaliers in the regular season, and are the only team in the league to kill the Cavaliers three times. It is a bit unpredictable for the Knicks to lead the Celtics 2-0, because they won 0 and lost 4 against the Celtics in the regular season, and they never won a single game. Last season, the Knicks had only 1 win and 4 losses against the Celtics.

Since the Cavaliers and the Celtics are currently behind 0-2, the situation is very bad. If they cannot return to home with a 2-2 score, they will probably be both eliminated and missed the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks and the Pacers will compete in the Eastern Conference Finals, and there is still a team that can reach the finals and compete for the championship. Last season, the Knicks and the Pacers met in the semi-finals and fought for 7 games. In the end, the Pacers eliminated the Knicks and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

It is worth mentioning that there are 463 0-2 trailing in NBA playoff history, of which only 34 teams completed the comeback. Although it seems that many teams have completed a comeback, it should be pointed out that both the Cavaliers and the Celtics have fallen behind 0-2 at home, and it is much more difficult to turn the tables in such a situation. In the 7-game 4-win series, only five teams in history can complete a comeback while falling behind 0-2 at home, namely the Clippers in 2021, the Celtics in 2017, the Mavericks in 2005, the Rockets in 1994, and the Lakers in 1969.

However, considering that both the Cavaliers and the Celtics scored 60+ wins in the regular season and were both reversed with a 20-point lead, it means that they still have strength, but they are not lucky. The Celtics completed a 0-2 home comeback in 2017, and the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals were still dragged into the tiebreak battle while falling behind 0-3. So as long as they can play at the regular season level next, they still have hope of turning the tables. Even if they are eventually eliminated, they are unlikely to be swept out.