Has a team ever overcome a 0-3 NBA Finals deficit?

Facing an 0-3 deficit this past weekend, the Dallas Mavericks had their backs against the wall in their NBA Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics. Nonetheless, they responded admirably, forcing a Game 5 at TD Garden.

On Thursday, the Mavericks will have the opportunity to prolong the series and put the Celtics in an uncomfortable position. Should Dallas win, both teams return to Dallas, one step closer to the best two words in sports: Game 7.

Can the Mavs dig themselves out of this presumably insurmountable hole? Has any team ever pulled off the daunting task of overcoming a 0-3 deficit in the Finals?

Has a team ever overcome a 0-3 NBA Finals deficit?

In Layman's terms, no. We have never witnessed any group triumphantly emerge victorious from the dreaded 0-3 hole with the Larry O'Brien Trophy at stake. But how large of a sample size do we have to go off of?

There have been 156 instances in the history of the NBA Playoffs where a team was down 0-3 in a best-of-seven series. Of those examples, 14 had a championship on the line in the NBA Finals -- none have prevailed. In this scenario, teams are 0-156 overall, so the unsuccessful track record extends well beyond the Finals.

Notably, we have seen just 13 of the 156 possible series' reach a Game 6, three of which occurred in the Finals. Moreover, only once has an NBA team forced a Game 7 when a title is at risk. 

In 1951, the New York Knicks spurred themselves to a win-or-go-home Finals meeting versus the Rochester Royals. Alas, the former fell short of what would have been a historic achievement, especially considering how the trend has played out since.

Can the Mavs be the first team to accomplish the unprecedented feat? While we would bet against it, Dallas boasts the best player in the series in Luka Dončić, who has rightfully earned the benefit. Could that be enough to propel them to victory? 

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics will do everything to avoid being on the wrong side of the record. But Boston almost became the first squad to blow an 0-3 deficit last year in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. So, we can't rule out another blunder.