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The Boston Celtics have their series against the Brooklyn Nets wrapped. It's over. Done. Finito. There have been 143 teams throughout NBA history who have faced a 0-3 hole in the playoffs and all 143 of them were eventually sent home.
It's bound to happen at one point in the future. It could be within the next decade. It could be a hundred years from now, assuming the NBA still exists and the world doesn't fall victim to extreme climate change at that point.
But for it to happen, it would take some rather extraordinary circumstances. Because to go down 0-3 would have to mean their opponent is relatively formidable. Then for the defeated team to be able flip the script and win four times in a row, against the team that just beat yours three straight times, there would need to be a few series-shifting factors in play.
The Brooklyn Nets just so happen to have some series-shifting ingredients in the recipe for a historic upset down 0-3. Now is it likely to happen? Hell no. But you'd be lying as a Celtics fan if you don't think there's at least the tiniest of slivers that the Nets could still make it a series.
Here are the three (3) biggest reasons the Brooklyn Nets could be the first team to come back from down 0-3:
Kevin Durant. I could just leave it at that and it should be understandable. The primary reason the Nets are still alive in this series is because they have KD.
For a historic comeback of epic proportions to occur, one never seen throughout the entire history of the NBA, there would have to be some legendary players involved. Luckily, the Nets have one of the greatest players to ever play the game in Kevin Durant. Only few players can single-handedly carry their ball club the way a top 15 player of all time can.
The Nets star is bound to erupt after having lackluster first three games of the series. Durant has averaged just 22.0 points on 17.3 shot attempts per contest, both figures being career-lows in the postseason for the former MVP. The Celtics certainly caught a perfect storm as Durant has been relatively passive, but that's definitely going to change for the rest of the series, for as long as it lasts.
The All-Star That Was Promised
Another huge factor in what should be the recipe for a 0-3 comeback would be an All-Star caliber player coming back. The Nets have that in Ben Simmons, who is set to make his debut with his new club in Game 4. Simmons is far from an all-world destroyer coming in to save the Nets. He was the exact opposite during last season's playoffs as he seemed terrified to even take a shot.
But his elite skills as both a defender and playmaker are the exact things the Nets need from a third star alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He could take zero shots but do all the other things that he does best, taking on the assignment of defending Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown on every possession while adding some much-needed size to an undersized Nets lineup against the Celtics.
Close calls first games
The Brooklyn Nets were one stop away from taking Game 1 of the series. They were up 17 points in Game 2 and opened up the fourth quarter with the lead. Bruce Brown of all people took the most shots and led the Nets with 26 points in their Game 3 loss, and even that game which say KD and Kyrie only score 16 apiece, seemed winnable despite their relatively passive stars.
Majority of the credit goes to the Boston Celtics for being able to make the right plays when they need to and for keeping Durant in check. But it's not like they've thoroughly dominated the Nets en route to their 3-0 lead. There have been stretches, particularly in the first two games where Brooklyn looked like the superior team, and that's with Kevin Durant staying relatively quiet thus far.
There's no question that these Nets are capable of beating this Celtics squad in a single game matchup. Asking them to win four straight is an immensely daunting, if not basically impossible task. But with Kevin Durant likely to come out guns blazing, Ben Simmons joining the lineup, and if the ball just bounces Brooklyn's way for the next game, or two, or three, then the series could still get a little bit interesting.
