Spring 2020 Day 37:

Results from Friday 18 September.

NHL

No games Friday.

NBA

Los Angeles Lakers host, defeat Denver Nuggets 126-pts-114

Streakiness after Friday:

The 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 1 victory by the Los Angeles Lakers snaps a four-Game 1 losing streak by this entity; the last best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 1 won by the Lakers occurred in the 2012 NBA Preliminary round, against, ironically, the Denver Nuggets. Upon winning Game 1 of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Los Angeles Lakers enjoy a 22-series winning streak. The last Laker loss in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series upon winning Game 1 occurred in the 1991 NBA Finals, against the upstart Chicago Bulls.

Dual Miami Grade-A In-Game Comebacks:

Game 1: In their 2020 NBA Semifinals Game 1, the Miami Heat trailed the pseudo-host Boston Celtics by 12 points as late as after three quarters, but prevailed. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2020, inclusive, road teams down 12 points as late as after three quarters had a game record of only 4-71 (.053) - the Miami Heat thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback to take their 1-game-nil series lead. Game 2: The Miami Heat trailed their pseudo-host Boston Celtics by 13 points as late as after two quarters, but won: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2020, inclusive, road teams down 13 points as late as after two quarters had a game record of only 5-56 (.082) - the Miami Heat thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback in Game 2.

Reigning Series Comeback and Encore:

On Tuesday 01 September, the Denver Nuggets became the first NBA team to surmount a 3-games-1 deficit for a 4-games-3 victory in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series since the Cleveland Cavaliers did so to win the 2016 NBA Finals. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series beginning in 1947, teams such as Denver which trailed 3-games-1 had a series record of only 11-242 (.043); so it is that Denver achieves a grade-A series comeback (and the best to date in best-of-7 Spring 2020 NBA/NHL playoffs). ENCORE: Denver then rallies from a 3-games-1 deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers and advance to the NBA Semifinals for the first time since 2009. The Nuggets join the 1985 Kansas City Royals as the only MLB/NBA/NHL teams to rally from more than one 3-games-1 deficit in the same playoff season.

Reigning In-Game Comeback:

On Sunday 13 September, the Denver Nuggets trailed the pseudo-visiting Los Angeles Clippers by 16 points as late as after two quarters in Game 6 of their 2020 NBA Quarterfinals series, but prevailed. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2020, inclusive, home teams down 16 points as late as after two quarters had a game record of only 0-11 (.000) - the Denver Nuggets thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback.