1970 Los Angeles Lakers, West semifinals, Phoenix Suns: The Lakers were coming off a loss to Boston in the 1969 Finals in which they lost Game 7 at home, the game where the balloons never dropped. The following season, Wilt Chamberlain suffered a knee injury and was limited to just 12 games, returning late in the season. The team’s chemistry was disrupted and the Lakers fell into a 3-1 hole to the Suns, an expansion team in just its second season and first playoff series.
Led by the sensational Connie Hawkins, Phoenix (39-43) was on the verge of one of the biggest upsets in playoff history. But reality set in, and instead the Suns became part of history. With “Mr. Clutch” Jerry West averaging 30 points and Chamberlain averaging 26, the Lakers won the last three games by a combined 63 points. They returned to the Finals, this time losing to the New York Knicks, again in seven games.
1968 Boston Celtics, East finals, Philadelphia 76ers: One year earlier, the 76ers had ended Boston’s eight-year stranglehold on the championship, posted a 68-13 record – the best ever to that point – and eliminating the Celtics in the East finals. This time, Philadelphia was eight games better during the season and – after losing the series opener at home while James Brown quelled riots in Boston with a concert – rattled off three straight wins.
And just as quickly, the momentum shifted back to Boston. Over the final three games, Chamberlain was limited to 20.7 points by Bill Russell and made just 20-of-48 free throws. Meanwhile, Sam Jones and John Havlicek averaged 26-plus points, and the Celtics became the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit, winning three games in Philadelphia.