The Knicks hope to leave Indianapolis tonight with a win that would bring them a step closer to making history — becoming the ninth team to recover from a 3-1 series deficit in NBA playoff history. Here’s a look at the eight teams that have done so:
1968 Eastern Division finals: Celtics beat 76ers
Bill Russell’s Celtics became the first team to accomplish the feat by coming back against Wilt Chamberlain’s Sixers and advancing to the NBA Finals, where they won their 10th title.
1970 Western Division finals: Lakers beat Suns
After Chamberlain gave up a 3-1 series lead in 1968, he and Jerry West teamed to lead the Lakers past the Suns and into the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Knicks.
1979 Eastern Conference finals: Bullets beat Spurs
Bobby Dandridge’s baseline jumper with eight seconds left capped his 37-point night and helped the Bullets beat the George Gervin-led Spurs. The Bullets would go on to lose to the Sonics in the NBA Finals.
1981 Eastern Conference finals: Celtics beat 76ers
Larry Bird led the Celtics past Julius Erving’s Sixers and into the NBA Finals, where they beat the Rockets to claim Bird’s first of three NBA titles.
1995 Western Conference semifinals: Rockets beat Suns
Mario Elie’s 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left in Game 7 lifted the Rockets to a 115-114 win, giving them the series and helping them on their way to a second straight title.
1997 Eastern Conference semifinals: Heat beat Knicks
This series was altered forever by the infamous Game 5 fight that saw Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston and Charlie Ward suspended for Game 6 and John Starks and Larry Johnson for Game 7 to help swing the series in Miami’s favor.
2003 Eastern Conference first round: Pistons beat Magic
Tracy McGrady (below) famously talked about getting out of the first round after taking a 3-1 lead in the series, before the top-seeded Pistons bounced back and won three straight to advance and leave egg on his face.
2006 Western Conference first round: Suns beat Lakers
After Kobe Bryant almost single-handedly lifted the seventh-seeded Lakers to a 3-1 series lead, Steve Nash and the Suns came back and, after winning Game 6 in overtime, blew out the Lakers in Game 7 to advance.