# List of teams that have overcome 2–0 series deficits in a best-of-five series

This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" &#x2D; please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it! The following is the list of teams that have overcome 2–0 series deficits in a best-of-five series concerning North American professional sports, otherwise known as a reverse sweep. The listed teams won three consecutive games after being down 2–0 in a best-of-five playoff series. Unsuccessful comebacks are also listed here, in which teams evened a series after being behind 2–0, then lost the final game of the series.
The best-of-five playoff structure used to be common in North American professional sports, particularly in the sports of baseball, basketball, and ice hockey. As of 2024, Major League Baseball, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Professional Women's Hockey League use the format.
All 2–0 deficit comebacks in a five-game series involve winning three straight elimination games, finally featuring a double-elimination game five. Longer series of this nature are almost always structured as single-elimination knockout tournaments, so one more loss means losing the series and ending playoff contention for the losing side.
This is similar to a comeback from a 3–1 series deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series, which also requires winning three straight games, but these are not covered here. In addition, 2–0 deficit comebacks in the best-of-seven series are also not covered here.

## Background

Three major North American professional sports leagues have had playoff series throughout their history that can reach a winner-take-all fifth game: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL). Currently, however, only the MLB is actively using best-of-five series, with the best-of-five series that were used in the NHL and NBA being permanently expanded to best-of-seven series in 1987 and 2003, respectively. In the history of these leagues, teams that were down 2–0 in a series have come back to win the series 17 times; 10 times in MLB, 6 times in the NBA, and once in the NHL. The most recent instance was accomplished by the New York Yankees of the MLB in the 2017 American League Division Series.
In women's North American professional sports, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has used the format for its Finals since 2005 and for the semifinals since 2016, but with no successful 2–0 deficit comebacks to date. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PHWL) has also used the format for its semifinals and Walter Cup Finals since its 2023–24 inaugural season, with one successful comeback: PWHL Minnesota in the 2024 Walter Cup Semifinals.
One common comeback scenario is where a heavy favorite digs themselves into a deep hole on early adversity, before reasserting their dominance over a weaker opponent when the chips are down. This explains in part why these comebacks are rare in most sports: powerhouse teams most capable of mounting a comeback don't usually dig themselves into this predicament in the first place.
Additionally, over a longer series, teams adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent (more so than in regular season play); stronger teams are usually better at making these adjustments, which makes a "Cinderella" comeback by the weaker team that much more difficult to pull off. In team sports where an individual position has the potential for outsize impact (e.g. a starting pitcher in baseball or a goalie in hockey), a comeback can sometimes be leveraged by a weaker team off of a heroic individual performance.

## Key

| | Indicates series in the championship round |
| Eventual champion | Indicates the winner went on to win the championship |

## National Hockey League

The Stanley Cup Finals was played as a best-of-five in 1928 and again from 1931 to 1938. Also played as a best-of-five, was a Semi-Final series, which was contested between the top two seeds in the league from 1929 to 1938. From 1980 to 1986, the first round of the playoffs was played as a best-of-five until it was expanded to a best-of-seven starting with the 1987 playoffs. In 2020, the qualifying round was played as a best-of-five as part of the modified playoff format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Successful comebacks

Only one team has ever overcome a 2–0 deficit in NHL playoff history.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser |
| 1985 Patrick Division semifinals | New York Islanders | Washington Capitals |

### Unsuccessful comebacks

Five teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five.
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner |
| 1934 semifinals | Toronto Maple Leafs | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1937 semifinals | Montreal Canadiens | Detroit Red Wings |
| 1981 preliminary round | Quebec Nordiques | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 1982 Patrick Division semifinals | Pittsburgh Penguins | New York Islanders |
| 1985 Adams Division semifinals | Buffalo Sabres | Quebec Nordiques |

## Major League Baseball

From 1969 to 1984, the League Championship Series was a best-of-five, until it was expanded to a best-of-seven in 1985. Since its inception in 1994 (and its one-off use in 1981), the League Division series has used the best-of-five format.

### Successful comebacks

Ten teams have overcome a 2–0 deficit in a best-of-five series, two of which occurred in the League Championship Series.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser |
| 1981 NLDS | Los Angeles Dodgers | Houston Astros |
| 1982 ALCS | Milwaukee Brewers | California Angels |
| 1984 NLCS | San Diego Padres | Chicago Cubs |
| 1995 ALDS | Seattle Mariners | New York Yankees |
| 1999 ALDS | Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians |
| 2001 ALDS | New York Yankees | Oakland Athletics |
| 2003 ALDS | Boston Red Sox | Oakland Athletics |
| 2012 NLDS | San Francisco Giants | Cincinnati Reds |
| 2015 ALDS | Toronto Blue Jays | Texas Rangers |
| 2017 ALDS | New York Yankees | Cleveland Indians |

### Unsuccessful comebacks

Seven teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five, only one of which occurred in the League Championship Series.
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner |
| 1972 ALCS | Detroit Tigers | Oakland Athletics |
| 1981 NLDS | Philadelphia Phillies | Montreal Expos |
| 1981 ALDS | Milwaukee Brewers | New York Yankees |
| 2010 ALDS | Tampa Bay Rays | Texas Rangers |
| 2011 NLDS | Arizona Diamondbacks | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 2012 ALDS | Oakland Athletics | Detroit Tigers |
| 2019 ALDS | Tampa Bay Rays | Houston Astros |

## National Basketball Association

The NBA used a best-of-five playoff from 1951 to 1953 and from 1955 to 1957 for the second round of the playoffs, before it was expanded to a best-of-seven starting in 1958. A best-of-five playoff was also used in the first round from 1961 to 1967 and from 1984 to 2002 before it was also expanded to a best-of-seven starting in 2003.

### Successful comebacks

Six teams have overcome a 2–0 deficit in NBA playoff history.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser |
| 1956 Western Division finals | Fort Wayne Pistons | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1987 Western Conference first round | Golden State Warriors | Utah Jazz |
| 1990 Eastern Conference first round | New York Knicks | Boston Celtics |
| 1993 Western Conference first round | Phoenix Suns | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1994 Western Conference first round | Denver Nuggets | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2001 Western Conference first round | Dallas Mavericks | Utah Jazz |

### Unsuccessful comebacks

Nineteen teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five.
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner |
| 1953 Western Division finals | Fort Wayne Pistons | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1961 Western Division semifinals | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1962 Eastern Division semifinals | Syracuse Nationals | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1964 Western Division semifinals | Los Angeles Lakers | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1984 Eastern Conference first round | Atlanta Hawks | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1984 Eastern Conference first round | Philadelphia 76ers | New Jersey Nets |
| 1988 Eastern Conference first round | Washington Bullets | Detroit Pistons |
| 1988 Eastern Conference first round | Cleveland Cavaliers | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988 Eastern Conference first round | Milwaukee Bucks | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1990 Eastern Conference first round | Cleveland Cavaliers | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1991 Western Conference first round | Seattle SuperSonics | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1992 Western Conference first round | Los Angeles Clippers | Utah Jazz |
| 1996 Western Conference first round | Portland Trail Blazers | Utah Jazz |
| 1997 Eastern Conference first round | Orlando Magic | Miami Heat |
| 1999 Eastern Conference first round | Detroit Pistons | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2000 Western Conference first round | Sacramento Kings | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2000 Western Conference first round | Seattle SuperSonics | Utah Jazz |
| 2002 Eastern Conference first round | Toronto Raptors | Detroit Pistons |
| 2002 Eastern Conference first round | Philadelphia 76ers | Boston Celtics |

## Women’s National Basketball Association

The WNBA has used a best-of-five series for the WNBA finals for every season from 2005 to 2024 and for the semifinals since 2016.

### Successful comebacks

Similar to how no team in the NBA has overcome a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, no team in the WNBA has overcome a 2–0 deficit in a best-of-five.

### Unsuccessful comebacks

Only one team in WNBA history has forced a game five after trailing 2–0, which the team failed to win.
| Year and series | Series Loser | Series Winner |
| 2018 WNBA semifinals | Phoenix Mercury | Seattle Storm |

## Professional Women's Hockey League

The PWHL uses best-of-five series for the playoff semifinals and the Walter Cup Finals.

### Successful comebacks

In the PWHL's inaugural season, PWHL Minnesota overcame a 2–0 deficit to defeat PWHL Toronto 3 games to 2.
| Year and series | Series Winner | Series Loser |
| 2024 Walter Cup Semifinals | PWHL Minnesota | PWHL Toronto |