Mavs’ rally among greatest NBA playoff comebacks

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

On Monday, the Mavericks posted one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, erasing a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes to force the Thunder into overtime. Dallas went on to a 112-105 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Oklahoma City.

Here is a look at some other great NBA playoff comebacks:

Getty Images/Nathaniel Butler

1986 Eastern Conference first round Game 1: Washington trails by 17 at Philadelphia with just three minutes left before going on an 18-0 run, capped by Dudley Bradley’s game-winning 3-pointer. Final: Bullets 95, 76ers 94.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

2008 NBA Finals Game 4: The Lakers lead 35-14 after the first quarter – the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history — at Los Angeles. They hold a 24-point lead early in the third, but the Celtics close the quarter with a 21-3 run and take the lead with 4:07 left in the game. Final: Celtics 97, Lakers 91

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3: Celtics trail by 21 at the start of the fourth quarter at Boston, then score 41 points while holding the Nets to 16. Final: Celtics  94, Nets 90

1994 Western Conference semifinals Game 2: Houston leads by 20 at home with 10 minutes left, but scores only 8 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns close the quarter with a 24-4 run. Final: Suns 124, Rockets 117 (OT)

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7: The Lakers are down by 15 points at home in the fourth quarter before going on a 25-4 run, highlighted by a Kobe to Shaq alley-oop to go up by 6 in the final minute. Final: Lakers 89, Trail Blazers 84

1992 NBA Finals Game 6: The Bulls trail by 15 points in the third quarter at Chicago, then score 33 and allow only 14 to down the Trail Blazers and claim their second straight championship. Final: Bulls 97, Trail Blazers 93

AP Photo/LM Otero

2011 Western Conference first round Game 4: The Mavs lead by 18 points entering the final quarter at Portland, then Brandon Roy scores 18 of the Trail Blazers’ 35 points to finish the comeback. Portland trailed by as much as 23 in the game. Final: Trail Blazers 84, Mavericks 82

Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

2006 NBA Finals Game 3: The Heat trail by 13 points in the fourth quarter at home when Dwyane Wade scores 12 points in the final 6-plus minutes. Miami scores 30 and holds the Mavericks to 19 in the quarter. Final: Heat 98, Mavericks 96

Compiled from NBA.com, ESPN.go.com, and various online wire service stories

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