The following is the list of teams that have overcome 2–0 series deficits in a best-of-five series concerning North American professional sports, otherwise known as a reverse sweep. The listed teams won three consecutive games after being down 2–0 in a best-of-five playoff series. Unsuccessful comebacks are also listed here, in which teams evened a series after being behind 2–0, then lost the final game of the series.
The best-of-five playoff structure used to be common in professional sports, particularly in the sports of baseball, basketball, and ice hockey. , Major League Baseball, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Professional Women's Hockey League use the format.
All 2–0 deficit comebacks in a five-game series involve winning three straight elimination games, including a winner-take-all Game 5. Longer series of this nature are almost always structured as single-elimination knockout tournaments, so one more loss means losing the series and ending playoff contention for the losing side.
This is similar to a comeback from a 3–1 series deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series, which also requires winning three straight games, but these are not covered here. In addition, 2–0 deficit comebacks in the best-of-seven series are also not covered here.
Background Three major North American professional sports leagues have had playoff series throughout their history that can reach a winner-take-all fifth game: Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL). Currently, however, only the MLB is actively using best-of-five series, with the best-of-five series that were used in the NHL and NBA being permanently expanded to best-of-seven series in 1987 and 2003, respectively. In the history of these leagues, teams that were down 2–0 in a series have come back to win the series 17 times; 10 times in MLB, 6 times in the NBA, and once in the NHL. The most recent instance was accomplished by the New York Yankees of the MLB in the 2017 American League Division Series.
In women's North American professional sports, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has used the format for its Finals since 2005 and for the semifinals since 2016, but with no successful 2–0 deficit comebacks to date. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PHWL) has also used the format for its semifinals and Walter Cup Finals since its 2023–24 inaugural season, with one successful comeback: PWHL Minnesota in the 2024 Walter Cup Semifinals.
One common comeback scenario is where a heavy favorite digs themselves into a deep hole on early adversity, before reasserting their dominance over a weaker opponent when the chips are down. This explains in part why these comebacks are rare in most sports: powerhouse teams most capable of mounting a comeback don't usually dig themselves into this predicament in the first place.
Additionally, over a longer series, teams adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent (more so than in regular season play); stronger teams are usually better at making these adjustments, which makes a "Cinderella" comeback by the weaker team that much more difficult to pull off. In team sports where an individual position has the potential for outsize impact (e.g. a starting pitcher in baseball or a goalie in hockey), a comeback can sometimes be leveraged by a weaker team off of a heroic individual performance.
Key Indicates the team that had home advantageIndicates series in the championship roundEventual championIndicates the series winner won (or went on to win) the championship
Major League Baseball From 1969 to 1984, the League Championship Series was a best-of-five, until it was expanded to a best-of-seven in 1985. Since its inception in 1994 (and its one-off use in 1981), the League Division series has used the best-of-five format.
Successful comebacks Ten teams have overcome a 2–0 deficit in a best-of-five series.
Year and series Series Winner Series Loser Note(s) 1981 NLDS Los Angeles Dodgers Houston AstrosThe 1981 Division Series was a one-off round that was created due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike. Three of the four series this round included a team forcing a Game 5 after previously trailing 2–0 in the series, though this is the only one where the trailing team won Game 5. The Dodgers never trailed in Games 3 to 5, allowing only 2 runs the rest of the way, becoming the first team in MLB history to overcome a 2–0 deficit in a best-of-5 series. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series, after overcoming a 2–0 series deficit in the World Series, though that was in a best-of-7 series. The Dodgers won 5 elimination games en route to the title. 1982 ALCS Milwaukee Brewers California AngelsIn Game 5, the Angels led 3–2 going into the 7th inning. Cecil Cooper hit a lead-changing 2-run single to give the Brewers a 4–3 lead. Marshall Edwards would rob Don Baylor of extra-bases in the 8th, which would be critical since he likely would've scored on a single by the very next batter. The Angels had the tying run at second in the 9th inning, but the Brewers were able to prevent him from scoring, and complete the comeback. 1984 NLCS San Diego Padres Chicago Cubs 1995 ALDS Seattle Mariners New York Yankees 1999 ALDS Boston Red Sox Cleveland Indians 2001 ALDS New York Yankees Oakland Athletics 2003 ALDS Boston Red Sox Oakland Athletics 2012 NLDS San Francisco Giants Cincinnati Reds 2015 ALDS Toronto Blue Jays Texas Rangers 2017 ALDS New York Yankees Cleveland Indians
Unsuccessful comebacks Eight teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five. Year and series Series Loser Series Winner Note(s) 1972 ALCS Detroit Tigers Oakland AthleticsIn Game 4, the Tigers trailed 3–1 in the 10th inning when with the bases loaded and 0 outs, Bill Freehan grounded to what should have been a double play, but Gene Tenace, who was moved from catcher to second base despite not having played that position since high school, dropped the throw to second, allowing the bases to remain loaded with 0 outs, in a now 3–2 game. Dave Hamilton walked Norm Cash to tie the game, before Jim Northrup hit a walk-off single to force a Game 5. In the decisive Game 5, the Tigers led early, but after George Hendrick was controversially called safe at first on a throwing error, Gene Tenace atoned for his Game 4 error, and passed ball earlier in the game by hitting an RBI single which would score the eventual series-winning run. Vida Blue would pitch a 4-inning save to close out the series. The Athletics avoided becoming the first MLB team to blow a 2–0 series lead in a best-of-5 and went on to win the World Series, their first of three straight. 1981 NLDS Philadelphia Phillies Montreal ExposIn Game 4, George Vukovich hit a walk-off home run to force a Game 5, but that would be the final run the Phillies would score that season, as they were shutout 3–0 in Game 5. Steve Rogers pitched a complete game shutout for the Expos, winning the franchise's only series before they relocated to Washington in 2005. 1981 ALDS Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees In Game 3, the Brewers trailed 1–0 in the 7th inning before Ted Simmons' lead-changing homer gave the Brewers the lead, and after the Yankees tied it in the bottom half, Paul Molitor hit a go-ahead homer in the 8th inning, with the Brewers going on to win 5–3. After a narrow 2–1 where the Yankees had the tying run at third and the series-winning run at first, the Brewers took an early 2–0 lead in Game 5. However, similar to Game 1, the Yankees would turn a 2-run deficit into a 2-run lead thanks to a 4-run 4th inning. The Brewers would cut the lead to 1, but the Yankees piled on three insurance runs to win the 7–3. The Yankees went on to reach the World Series, only to lose to the Dodgers in 6 games. 2010 ALDS Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers 2011 NLDS Arizona Diamondbacks Milwaukee Brewers 2012 ALDS Oakland Athletics Detroit Tigers 2019 ALDS Tampa Bay Rays Houston Astros 2025 NLDS Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers
National Basketball Association The NBA used a best-of-five playoff from 1951 to 1953 and from 1955 to 1957 for the second round of the playoffs, before it was expanded to a best-of-seven starting in 1958. A best-of-five playoff was also used in the first round from 1961 to 1967 and from 1984 to 2002 before it was also expanded to a best-of-seven starting in 2003.
Successful comebacks Six teams have overcome a 2–0 deficit in NBA playoff history. Year and series Series Winner Series Loser Note(s) 1956 Western Division finals Fort Wayne Pistons St. Louis Hawks 1987 Western Conference first round Golden State Warriors Utah Jazz 1990 Eastern Conference first round New York Knicks Boston Celtics 1993 Western Conference first round Phoenix Suns Los Angeles Lakers 1994 Western Conference first round Denver Nuggets Seattle SuperSonics Denver became the first 8th seed to upset the 1st seed in NBA history. 2001 Western Conference first round Dallas Mavericks Utah Jazz
Unsuccessful comebacks Nineteen teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five. Year and series Series Loser Series Winner Note(s) 1953 Western Division finals Fort Wayne Pistons Minneapolis Lakers 1961 Western Division semifinals Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers 1962 Eastern Division semifinals Syracuse Nationals Philadelphia Warriors 1964 Western Division semifinals Los Angeles Lakers St. Louis Hawks 1984 Eastern Conference first round Atlanta Hawks Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers New Jersey Nets 1988 Eastern Conference first round Washington Bullets Detroit Pistons Cleveland Cavaliers Chicago Bulls Milwaukee Bucks Atlanta Hawks 1990 Eastern Conference first round Cleveland Cavaliers Philadelphia 76ers 1991 Western Conference first round Seattle SuperSonics Portland Trail Blazers 1992 Western Conference first round Los Angeles Clippers Utah Jazz 1996 Western Conference first round Portland Trail Blazers 1997 Eastern Conference first round Orlando Magic Miami Heat 1999 Eastern Conference first round Detroit Pistons Atlanta Hawks 2000 Western Conference first round Sacramento Kings Los Angeles Lakers Seattle SuperSonics Utah Jazz 2002 Eastern Conference first round Toronto Raptors Detroit Pistons Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics
National Hockey League The Stanley Cup Finals was played as a best-of-five in 1928 and again from 1931 to 1938. Also played as a best-of-five, was a Semi-Final series, which was contested between the top two seeds in the league from 1929 to 1938. From 1980 to 1986, the first round of the playoffs was played as a best-of-five until it was expanded to a best-of-seven starting with the 1987 playoffs. In 2020, the qualifying round was played as a best-of-five as part of the modified playoff format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Successful comebacks Only one team has ever overcome a 2–0 deficit in NHL playoff history. Year and series Series Winner Series Loser Note(s) 1985 Patrick Division semifinals New York Islanders Washington Capitals
Unsuccessful comebacks Five teams have evened a best-of-five series after falling behind 2–0, only to lose game five. Year and series Series Loser Series Winner Note(s) 1934 semifinals Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings 1937 semifinals Montreal Canadiens Detroit Red Wings 1981 preliminary round Quebec Nordiques Philadelphia Flyers 1982 Patrick Division semifinals Pittsburgh Penguins New York Islanders 1985 Adams Division semifinals Buffalo Sabres Quebec Nordiques
Women's National Basketball Association The WNBA has used a best-of-five series for the WNBA finals for every season from 2005 to 2024 and for the semifinals since 2016.
Successful comebacks Similar to how no team in the NBA has overcome a 3–0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, no team in the WNBA has overcome a 2–0 deficit in a best-of-five.
Unsuccessful comebacks