This Day in NBA History: Nets Blow 21-Point Lead to Celtics

The largest Eastern Conference playoff comeback happened 22 years ago today.

Apr 14, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce in game with New Jersey Nets at the Prudential Center. Boston Celtics defeat the New Jersey Nets 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports / Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

This day in history might be one to forget for Brooklyn Nets fans. On May 25, 2002, the Nets went up against the Boston Celtics in the Boston Garden for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Led by Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Keith Van Horn, New Jersey came into what is now TD Garden, in a tied, 1-1 series to face Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker.

Going up 21 heading into the fourth quarter, it looked like your routine playoff blowout. Kerry Kittles and Kidd were cooking with the one-two punch. Kidd finished with 12 points and 11 assists, while Kittles dropped 19.

Then, Paul Pierce happened.

Pierce went on to shoot 4-for-5 in the final 12 minutes, outscoring New Jersey 19-16, leading an epic 21-point comeback. All of the Truth's makes came in the paint, putting an incredible slashing performance on display.

With just under a minute remaining, the Celtics cut the lead to one. Pierce drove the basket and got fouled. The lead was gone shortly after, hitting two clutch free throws. The Nets continued to fold, turning the ball over for a Kenny Anderson layup (calling a goaltend).

After a disaster of a play, Keith Van Horn shot a three, blocked by Walker. Knocking down a free throw, the Celtics fans were going ballistic, and after two missed threes from Kidd, Boston walked away with a 2-1 series lead.

The comeback stands as the largest in Eastern Conference playoff history, and second-largest in NBA history. The top spot belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers, erasing an incredible, 31-point deficit from the Golden State Warriors to win Game 2 of the first round in the Western Conference.

The similarity between the two teams that blew the lead? They responded by winning the round and getting to the NBA Finals. New Jersey went on to win the series in six games, eventually losing the Los Angeles in the final championship of their epic three-peat. Golden State would go on to lose to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, failing to create a three-peat of their own.

It's definitely a day in history that Nets fans don't like to reminisce, but in that era New Jersey was elite, being a championship contender year after year. Unfortunately, 22 years later they can no longer say the same. For Nets fans, let this not be a day to remember a playoff blunder, but rather a roadblock in an epic Finals run.

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