The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season is now hanging by a mere thread following the outcome of Sunday’s Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland could have evened up the series at two games apiece with a road win, but instead, it lost to the Pacers by 20 points and now finds itself one loss away from elimination.
While Cleveland is facing a daunting task, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert reminded fans Sunday night that the franchise has been in this situation before.
He wasn’t specific about what series he was talking about, but it’s safe to guess he was referencing when the Cavaliers lost three of the first four games against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals before winning the series in seven.
Hey @cavs fans… yes it was an ugly one, but we’ve been here before. Time to get 3 in a row, 2 of them coming at home. Let’s start with Game 5 on Tuesday. #Believeland
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) May 12, 2025
That 2015-16 Cavaliers squad remains the only team in NBA history to mount a successful comeback in the championship series after being in a 1-3 hole, and the play of forward LeBron James was instrumental to the historic resurgence. He put together an NBA Finals series for the ages, as he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.
James was crucial in the deciding Game 7 as well, as he finished with a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
While it is true that the 2015-16 Cavaliers are one of 13 teams in NBA playoff history to win a series after falling in a 1-3 hole, it’s hard to compare the current iteration of the Cleveland to the title team from almost a decade ago.
The aforementioned Cavs team was spearheaded by maybe the greatest player in the history of the NBA in James, and he also had quite the supporting cast around him with the likes of guard Kyrie Irving and big man Kevin Love.
While the 2024-25 Cavs also have star power and a capable “core four,” none of their four best players have even tasted the conference finals, and the team has also been ravaged by injuries of late.
Most recently, guard Donovan Mitchell exited Sunday’s Game 4 with an ankle injury, and he’s been the team’s top scoring option throughout the season. He scored 43-plus points in two of the opening three games of the series against Indiana.
