NBA
Has any team gone 16-0 in NBA playoffs history?
The NBA playoffs is where business on the court gets really serious, and consistency through these high-pressured games is very hard to maintain.
Some teams have had exceptional playoff runs in the past, with the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, the 1989 Detroit Pistons, 1991 Chicago Bulls, and 1999 San Antonio Spurs getting special mention. But has any team ever gone through the playoffs winning every game. The answer is no, but a couple of notable names have gone very close.
2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers
The 2000-01 Lakers, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, were dominant and beat their opponents decisively. Securing the #2 seed in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers had an impressive lineup with O’Neal, who averaged 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, earning him a well-deserved spot on the All-NBA First Team. Meanwhile, Bryant, who had an average of 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
During the playoffs, the Lakers dominated their opponents, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in three consecutive Western Conference first-round games. They continued their winning streak by sweeping the 3rd-seeded Kings in four straight games in the Western Conference Semi-finals.
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The Lakers faced the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals and swept them again in four straight games.
They were overwhelming favorites against the Iverson-led 76ers in the Finals. The Lakers concluded the postseason with a remarkable record of 15-1, the best in the history of the NBA. Their only loss came in a Game 1 overtime defeat against the 76ers in the NBA Finals, where they were defeated 107-101 at home, in that Alan Iverson stepping over Tyronn Lue game.
2016-2017 Golden State Warriors
The Lakers’ postseason record remained unbeaten for 16 years until the Golden State Warriors achieved a 16-1 record during the 2017 playoffs. The 2017 Warriors, which included Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, came closer than any other team in NBA history to sweeping the playoffs.
The Warriors secured the top seed for the third consecutive year during the playoffs. In the first round, they swept the Portland Trail Blazers 4-0, even when Kevin Durant was absent for Games 2 and 3. In the semi-finals, they faced the Utah Jazz for the first time since 2007 and dominated, with Kevin Durant scoring a playoff-high 38 points in Game 3. They completed a clean sweep in Game 4, with Curry and Thompson combining for 51 points and Green recording a triple-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.
In the conference finals, the Warriors faced the Spurs and rallied back from a 25-point deficit to win Game 1. They won Game 3, took a 3-0 series lead, and improved to 11-0 for the postseason, becoming the third team in the history of the NBA to achieve this feat. They swept the Spurs in four games, thanks to Curry’s 36 points, and made their third NBA Finals appearance in a row, a first in franchise history. With a perfect 12-0 record in the playoffs, they became the first team in NBA history to achieve this feat.
The Warriors went on to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the NBA Finals, making it the first time two teams met for a third consecutive year in NBA history. They also set a new NBA record with a 15-0 start to the playoffs and finished with a 16-1 record, the best in NBA playoff history, surpassing the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers.