NBA Finals: The 5 teams that have come back from a 2-0 deficit

The case for being optimistic about the Mavs' chances

Locked On Mavs host Nick Angstadt talks about the injury to Kristaps Porzingis, adjustments the Mavericks need to make and looks back at recent history to give Dallas fans a reason to be hopeful for the rest of the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks enter Wednesday night's Game 3 in a 2-0 hole against the Boston Celtics.

In NBA history, teams who go up 2-0 in the Finals are 31-5.

Here are those five times.

Milwaukee Bucks (2021)

Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 finals.

Things changed as Giannis Antetokounmpo took over the series.

Milwaukee won the next four games to win the title.

Giannis scored 50 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to closeout the Suns in Game 6.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2016)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving (2) scores three points against Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) late in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, June 19, 2016. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area N

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In what could be the most famous NBA comeback of all time, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

The Warriors had won an NBA record 73 games in the regular season and led the series 2-0 and then 3-1 at different points.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the Cavs charge.

Irving struggled early in the series, only scoring 10 points in Game 2.

He put up 30+ in each of the next three games and in the deciding Game 7 hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history.

Miami Heat (2006)

Sorry to make you relive this one, Mavs fans.

Dirk Nowitzki and the 2006 Mavs took and early 2-0 over Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and the Heat.

Wade marched to the free throw line again and again as the Mavs fell to the Heat in 6 games.

The 24-year-old Wade averaged 34.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in the series, outdueling Dirk who scored 22.8 points and 10.8 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers (1977)

Bill Walton and the Portland Trailblazers clawed their way back to win the 1977 Finals over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Blazers lost the first two games after strong performances from Julius Erving and Doug Collins in Philly.

When the series came to Portland, things changed.

Walton won the Finals MVP on the way to Portland's first and only championship in franchise history.

Boston Celtics (1969)

The Boston Celtics also know what it is like to come back from down 2-0.

The Bill Russell-led Celtics beat Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games after falling behind early in the series.

West won the MVP despite the Lakers loss.