History tells us that teams that make it out of the NBA Play-In Tournament typically don't advance much farther than that. They scratch and claw out of the league's annual mini-competition only to lose to a top-two seed in five or six games (at best).
However, a couple of squads managed to slip through the cracks and make improbable runs in previous postseasons. Notably, one player from this year's pool of contestants was the catalyst of one of the mentioned underdog stories: Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler. And upon guiding his group to a play-in victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and the Western Conference's No. 7 seed, he may do it again.
Butler and the Warriors are set for a first-round matchup with the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in which oddsmakers consider them the favorites. But as Golden State prepares for the task at hand, let's reminisce about the clubs that have gone from play-in rags to playoff riches.
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Looking back at the deepest playoff runs in NBA Play-In Tournament history
Only two play-in teams have won a playoff series since the inception of the first rendition of the tourney in 2020. Oddly enough, the Butler-led Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers each accomplished the feat in the same postseason (2023). They stand alone in the annals of the Association's prominent 79 seasons.
2022-23 Miami Heat
Despite entering the play-in as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, Butler and the Heat ceded that spot to the Atlanta Hawks. Ultimately, that proved to work in their favor, considering it led them to a 4-1 series defeat of the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks. Yet, if it weren't for a Max Strus masterclass performance against the Chicago Bulls, Miami might've never secured the eighth and final playoff spot.
Miami had the fortune of facing Milwaukee without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo for a good chunk of the series. He suffered a back injury in Game 1 and didn't return until Game 4. But by then, it was too little, too late. Butler spoiled his comeback with a 56-point explosion to take a commanding 3-1 lead before closing it out on the Bucks' home floor.
The Heat then took down the New York Knicks in a hard-fought six-game bout. Standout floor general Jalen Brunson did all he could but didn't get much help from anyone other than a then-22-year-old RJ Barrett. Butler and Miami were too much to overcome at the end of the day.
An Eastern Conference Finals clash between Miami and the Boston Celtics went the distance. It wasn't your run-of-the-mill seesaw affair. The Heat won the first three games before dropping the next three, nearly becoming the first-ever team to blow a 3-0 lead. A clutch road showing from Butler and Co. saved them from making the wrong type of history.
After getting past Boston, the Heat were no match for all-time great Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. The Serbian big man dominated Bam Adebayo and Miami's frontcourt, capping off the franchise's first title run with a 4-1 series win versus the Heat. His efforts deservedly earned him Finals MVP, posting averages of 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.4 blocks per game on .583/.421/.838 shooting splits.
2022-23 Los Angeles Lakers
Like the Heat, the Lakers had a favorable first-round draw. They met a talented albeit young, inexperienced and unproven Grizzlies team. Meanwhile, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were no strangers to the postseason, giving Los Angeles a distinct advantage. Subsequently, No. 2 seed Memphis got bounced by a much more vetted bunch, while the purple and gold lived to see another day.
Los Angeles then ran into the reigning champion Warriors. They mostly exchanged blowouts, excluding Games 1 and 4. The duo of James and Davis paved the way for the Lakers to dethrone Golden State in six games, setting up a showdown with Denver.
Before the Nuggets handily beat the Heat, they dismantled the Lakers in what's famously known as "the most competitive sweep in NBA history." Jokić averaged a triple-double while his running mate, Jamal Murray, paced Denver in scoring (32.5 points per contest). Los Angeles had no answers for their patented two-man game connection, halting their impressive run.