Greatest Comebacks in NBA History

Comebacks on this page are measured by the largest deficit during the game, not simply the margin at halftime or at the end of a quarter. Because play-by-play records from the earliest decades of professional basketball are incomplete, this archive should be considered an ongoing historical record rather than a claim that every large comeback in league history has been identified.

The NBA record remains Utah's 36-point comeback against Denver in 1996. The Jazz trailed 70-34 with 20 seconds remaining in the first half before completing one of the most remarkable reversals in league history.

The largest comeback in NBA Finals history occurred on June 10, 2026, when the New York Knicks erased a 29-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4. San Antonio led by 27 points at halftime and eventually pushed the margin to 29 before New York rallied to win 107-106.

The previous major Finals comeback listed in this archive was Boston's 24-point rally against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 13, 2008. The Baltimore Bullets also overcame a 21-point deficit against the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1948 BAA Finals.

These records are different from the tables above. The number shown here is the team's halftime deficit, rather than its largest deficit at any point during the game.

Largest comeback in NBA history: Utah Jazz, 36 points vs. Denver Nuggets on November 27, 1996. Utah won 107-103.

Largest playoff comeback: Los Angeles Clippers, 31 points at Golden State on April 15, 2019. The Clippers won 135-131.

Largest NBA Finals comeback: New York Knicks, 29 points vs. San Antonio on June 10, 2026. New York won Game 4, 107-106.

Largest fourth-quarter comeback: Milwaukee Bucks, 29 points against the Atlanta Hawks on November 25, 1977. Milwaukee won 117-115.

Largest regular-season comeback listed from the 2025-26 season: New Orleans erased a 25-point deficit against Houston on December 18, 2025, and San Antonio erased a 25-point deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 6, 2026.

NBAHoopsOnline measures a comeback from the largest verified deficit a winning team faced during a game. For example, a team that trailed by 25 points during the second quarter but was only 12 points behind at halftime is credited with a 25-point comeback.

This is why the regular-season and playoff tables can differ from the halftime comeback tables. The New York Knicks, for example, trailed San Antonio by 27 points at halftime in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals but later fell behind by 29 before completing the comeback.

Records from the play-by-play era are easier to verify than games from the NBA and BAA's earliest decades. Older games will continue to be added when reliable scoring information establishes the largest deficit.

Know of a missing comeback? NBAHoopsOnline continues to research historical comeback games. If you know of another verified comeback that belongs on this list, please email rednecksbasketball@yahoo.com.