The NBA playoffs have a way of delivering fans the unexpected. But what’s unfolding in the Eastern Conference is something the league has never seen. Since the 16-team playoff format was introduced during the 1983-84 season, a 60-win team has never fallen behind 0-2 in the second round.
Now, it’s happened twice — in the same season.
The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers rolled through the 2024–25 regular season with 60+ win campaigns and earned the top two seeds in the East. Yet, both now find themselves on the verge of an epic collapse.
Boston, led by All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, dropped its second straight home game to the underdog New York Knicks. At the same time, Cleveland was upset at Rocket Arena by a surging Indiana Pacers squad led by guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Unprecedented Territory for Celtics and Cavaliers
The magnitude of the moment isn’t lost on players or fans.
In Boston, the heat is on. Tatum, who finished Game 2 with just 13 points, has again become the focal point of national criticism, with questions of his leadership and killer instinct re-emerging.
Cleveland and Boston are making the wrong kind of history 😵💫
Can either team mount a comeback in their series? pic.twitter.com/JJl8iTX520
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)
In Cleveland, the problems have been just as glaring.
While the Cavaliers are dealing with injuries to key players such as Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle), and DeAndre Hunter (thumb), All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell’s massive 48-point effort in Game 2 wasn’t enough to overcome a seemingly fearless Pacers team.
Indiana, which finished fourth in the East, is two wins from a repeat Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Pacers were swept last season by the Celtics, but three of the games in that series were decided by a combined 11 points.
Knicks, Pacers Flip the Script on Top Seeds
The cruel reality for Boston and Cleveland is simple: both teams are now in must-win territory. Only 34 teams in NBA history have ever come back from trailing 0-2 to win a best-of-seven series. With sky-high expectations, the road to winning a championship for these two 60+ win teams is more daunting by the day.
The Celtics won the title in 2024 and are looking to repeat as champions. Many believe this year’s team, with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and a high-powered offense, has a good chance of going back-to-back.
The Cavaliers, making their third straight playoff appearance, rebuilt this roster around Garland and Mitchell. But after dropping the first two games at home, the pressure is mounting to prove their 64-win season wasn’t just empty numbers.
Indiana is a perfect 3-0 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the playoffs thus far, which could spell trouble for the top-seeded Cavaliers.
Boston, on the other hand, still has a path forward. The series now heads to Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks are a disappointing 1-2 at home this postseason.
Unless something changes in short order, history won’t remember the regular-season dominance of the Celtics and Cavaliers, but instead, their historic downfalls.
