Memorable Comebacks

Up 28–3 in the third quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were rolling and appeared headed for a Super Bowl title. But Tom Brady engineered a ferocious comeback of 31 unanswered points to lead New England to a 34–28 overtime win in Super Bowl LI. Here is a look back at the most memorable single-game comebacks in sports.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 14, 2013

Memorable Comebacks

Patriots defeat Falcons (2017)

Tom Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history as the Patriots pulled themselves out of a 25-point hole against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI to a 34-28 win for New England's fifth NFL championship. It was the first Super Bowl decided in overtime. The Patriots scored 19 points in the final quarter, including a pair of 2-point conversions, then marched relentlessly to James White's 2-yard touchdown run in overtime after winning the coin toss. White scored three touchdowns and a 2-pointer.

Colts defeat Chiefs (2014)

The Indianapolis Colts stormed back from a 38-10 deficit to defeat Kansas City 45-44 in a wild card playoff game in the 2013 playoffs. Quarterback Andrew Luck trimmed the Chiefs lead by recovering a fumble and scoring on this dive into the end zone.

Bruins defeat Maple Leafs (2013)

Trailing by three goals in the third period and still by two with less than 90 seconds left in their season, the Bruins scored twice in a span of 31 seconds to tie it and then eliminated the Maple Leafs on Patrice Bergeron's goal at 6:05 of overtime to win 5-4 in Game 7. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Bruins are the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 after trailing by three goals in the third period.

Mavericks defeat Heat (2011)

Dirk Nowitzki shook off an injury to his non-shooting hand and made the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left in regulation, and the Mavs roared back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun the Heat 95-93 and tie the series at one game apiece.

Red Sox defeat Rays (2008)

Down seven runs with seven outs remaining in their season, the Red Sox finally broke through against the Rays' bullpen. Home runs by David Ortiz and J.D. Drew brought the dejected Fenway faithful back into the game, and a ninth inning single by Drew sent the series back to Tampa for Game 6.

Celtics defeat Lakers (2008)

Boston trailed by 24 in the second quarter, 18 at halftime and 20 midway through the third. But the Celtics closed the third quarter with a 21-3 run and then received clutch plays down the stretch from both their role players (James Posey's crucial three-pointer with 1:13 left) and stars (Ray Allen's game-clinching layup with 16 seconds remaining) in a 97-91 victory — the biggest recorded comeback in Finals history.

Kansas defeats Memphis (2008)

Down nine points with 2:12 left, Kansas took advantage of Memphis' missed free throws down the wire. Jayhawks guard Mario Chalmers hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to tie the game at 63. Kansas went on to win in overtime 75-68.

UNC defeats USC (2007)

Down by 16 points early in the second half, Brandan Wright and the top-seeded Tar Heels went on an 18-0 run — Ty Lawson later said they were motivated not by the chance to go to the title game, but rather ''coach Williams' yelling.''

Heat defeat Mavericks (2006)

The Heat were down 2-0 in the series and stuck in a 89-76 hole midway through the fourth quarter of Game 3. But Dwyane Wade scored 12 of his 42 points during a game-ending 22-7 run that sparked Miami to a 98-96 victory, the first of its four consecutive wins. The Heat became just the third team to win the championship after losing the first two games of the finals.

Texas Tech defeats Minnesota (2006)

Currently the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I bowl game history, the Red Raiders trailed 38-7 in the third quarter when Tech quarterback Graham Harrell got into a rhythm. He threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another to pull his team to within 10. In the fourth quarter, Tech's defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs and a fumble, which led to another touchdown, and kicker Alex Trlica made a 52-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. Minnesota scored a field goal, but Tech answered with Shannon Wood's third touchdown of the day to win the game 44-41. Harrell finished with 445 passing yards and the MVP award.

Liverpool defeats AC Milan (2005)

Despite being down 3-0 at halftime, Liverpool refused to quit in the second half, pulling even with the Italians with goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimír Šmicer and Xabi Alonso. Following 30 scoreless minutes of extra time, Liverpool prevailed with a 3-2 victory in the penalty shootout to capture their fifth European Cup.

Illinois defeats Arizona (2005)

Jawann McClellan sat dejected after the Illini, trailing by 15 with just four minutes to play, went on a 20-5 run behind Luther Head and Deron Williams to top Arizona by one in overtime.

Justine Henin-Hardenne def. Jennifer Capriati (2003)

Despite winning five straight games after falling behind a set and a break, Henin-Hardenne gave Capriati a chance to serve for the match in the third set. But two unforced errors, and six more off her backhand in the tiebreak, sent Capriati home and Henin-Hardenne to her first U.S. Open final, where she defeated fellow Belgian Kim Clistjers.

49ers defeat Giants (2003)

The Niners completed the second-biggest comeback in NFL playoff history, rallying from a 24-point hole to a 39-38 playoff victory. But the Giants were complicit in the proceedings; they botched the snap on a 41-yard field-goal attempt as time expired.

Steelers defeat Browns (2003)

Steelers QB Tommy Maddox, the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, tossed three touchdown passes in the final 19 minutes to help the Steelers turn a seemingly hopeless 24-7 deficit into an exhilarating 36-33 victory.

Angels defeat Giants (2002)

The Giants led 5-0 and were just eight outs away from their first world title since moving to San Francisco in 1958. But the Angels, spurred on by the Rally Monkey, began chipping away at the lead. First baseman Scott Spiezio launched a three-run homer in the seventh, and the team added three more in the eighth. Series MVP Troy Glaus knocked in the winning run on a double off Giants closer Robb Nen. The Angels won their first title the next day in Game 7.

Celtics defeat Nets (2002)

The Celtics pulled off the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in playoff history, overcoming a 21-point deficit to stun the Nets 94-90. Paul Pierce, who missed 12 of his first 14 shots, scored 19 of his 28 points in the final period, when Boston outscored New Jersey 41-16. The Nets recovered to win the series before losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Duke defeats Maryland (2001)

Carlos Boozer, who was playing just his third game since suffering a fractured right foot, scored nine points in the last five minutes as the Blue Devils rallied back from 22 points to beat their fellow ACC foe.

Lakers defeat Trail Blazers (2000)

On the verge of blowing a 3-1 series lead, the Lakers erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and went on to topple Portland 89-84, winning their first NBA crown under Phil Jackson. The Blazers missed 13 consecutive shots during the Lakers' surge, which was keyed by Brian Shaw's two three-pointers. "We realize we sort of made cowards of ourselves in the fourth quarter," Portland's Scottie Pippen said after the game.

France defeats New Zealand (1999)

It was no surprise when France was 24-10 behind the heavily favored All Blacks of New Zealand at the half. What was shocking to everyone involved was Les Bleus' second-period surge, led by Christophe Lamaison's 28-point performance, to upset the Kiwis 43-31.

United States defeats Europe (1999)

The Americans entered singles play on the final day trailing the defending champion Europeans by four points. The U.S. won eight head-to-head matches and needed just half a point more to clinch the victory. Justin Leonard answered the call with a birdie on the 17th hole.

Manchester United defeats Bayern Munich (1999)

As the clock reached the 90-minute mark in the Champions League, the German superclub clung to a 1-0 lead. But Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored for the Red Devils during injury time, completing a miraculous 2-1 victory and securing a rare "treble" for the English champions (with the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles).

Andre Agassi def. Andre Medvedev (1999)

Agassi became just the fifth player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slam events when he came from two sets down to win his first major title in four years. He would go on to win the U.S. Open later that year.

Kentucky defeats Duke (1998)

On the way to the national title, the Wildcats had to come from 17 points down with less than 12 minutes to play to defeat the top-seeded Blue Devils 86-84. They got a key three-pointer from walk-on senior Cameron Mills.

Yankees defeat Braves (1996)

The defending champion Braves had steamrolled the underdog Yankees by a combined 16-1 score in Games 1 and 2 and looked primed for another blowout in Game 4 when they jumped to a 6-0 lead. But the Yankees battled back with three runs in the sixth and then tied the game in the eighth when reserve catcher Jim Leyritz launched a home run off Braves closer Mark Wohlers. The Yankees capped the second biggest comeback in Series history with two runs in the 10th inning, and then captured the next two games to win their first World Series in 18 years.

Rockets defeat Magic (1995)

The defending champions spotted Shaq- and Penny-led Orlando a 20-point second-quarter lead, only to storm back behind Kenny Smith's five third-quarter three-pointers. The game went to overtime after the Magic's Nick Anderson missed four free throws in the final 11 seconds of regulation. Hakeem Olajuwon won it in the extra period with a last-second tip-in, and the 120-118 victory began what would be a Rockets four-game sweep.

Blue Jays defeat Phillies (1993)

In a persistent rainstorm, the defending champion Blue Jays, leading the series 2-1, found themselves down 14-9 heading into the eighth against Philadelhphia. But Toronto responded with six runs, taking the lead on a two-out, two-run Devon White triple. The game set records for longest game (4:14), most combined runs (15) and most runs scored by a losing team (14). The Blue Jays repeated as world champions two games later.

Mary Joe Fernandez def. Gabriela Sabatini (1993)

Mary Joe Fernandez def. Gabriella Sabatini — Simon Bruty

Having lost 11 of the first 13 games and facing elimination at 1-5, Fernandez successfully defended five match points and extended the quarterfinal meeting to a full three hours and 36 minutes before closing out the final set, 10-8. Fernandez would advance to the finals but lost in a close three-set match against Steffi Graf.

Bills defeat Oilers (1993)

After falling behind 35-3 in the third quarter, Buffalo rallied to tie the game thanks to a heroic performance by backup quarterback Frank Reich. Houston won the toss but Warren Moon's interception returned possession to the Bills. Steve Christie's 32-yard field goal would give Buffalo the unlikely 41-38 victory and complete the largest comeback in NFL history.

Bulls defeat Trail Blazers (1992)

Facing a 15-point deficit to start the fourth quarter, the Bulls staged a 14-2 run while Michael Jordan rested. Jordan took over from there, scoring 12 of his 33 points in the final six minutes as Chicago rallied past Portland 97-93 to clinch its second championship in a row.

Dolphins defeat Browns (1986)

The Browns had sprinted out to a 21-3 lead midway through the third quarter thanks to a pair of Earnest Byner scoring runs and an Ozzie Newsome touchdown catch. But Dan Marino and running back Ron Davenport keyed a furious Miami comeback, as the Dolphins closed the game with 21 unanswered points to secure a 24-21 victory.

Jack Nicklaus (1986)

By the ninth hole on Sunday, Nicklaus had already missed two four-foot putts and was five shots behind the leader. Then the Golden Bear turned in a miraculous 30 on the back nine to don his record sixth green jacket, at 46.

Kings defeat Oilers (1982)

Huge favorites against a team with a 24-41-15 regular-season record, Wayne Gretzky's high-powered Oilers grabbed a 5-0 lead after two periods in Los Angeles and looked like a lock to take a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five series. But Jay Wells (right) scored for the Kings at 2:46 of the third period and the rally continued with a power play tally by Doug Smith, a freak goal by Charlie Simmer that was knocked into the net by Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr, and a four-on-four score by Mark Hardy. With only five seconds left, Steve Bozek pounced on a rebound and backhanded it home to force overtime. The Kings won "The Miracle on Manchester" — so named for the street on which LA's Great Western Forum stood — at 2:35 of the extra frame when rookie winger Daryl Evans blasted a slapper past Fuhr. The Kings went on to win the series, too.

Ivan Lendl def. John McEnroe (1981)

Lendl won his first Grand Slam title and ended McEnroe's 39-match winning streak when he came back from a two-set deficit in the final. Though McEnroe would beat Lendl in straight sets at the U.S. Open final later that year, the American would never again advance that far in the French. Lendl, meanwhile, would win at Roland Garros twice more during his 16-year career.

BYU defeats Southern Methodist (1980)

Known as the ''Miracle Bowl,'' the 1980 Holiday Bowl featured a dramatic, 21-point fourth-quarter comeback by BYU and quarterback Jim McMahon, who teamed up with tight end Clay Brown on a game-winning Hail Mary.

Notre Dame defeats Houston (1979)

On an unusually cold day in Texas, Notre Dame trailed Houston by 12 midway through the fourth quarter. Irish quarterback Joe Montana (pictured with head coach Dan Devine) had been sitting in the locker room sick with the flu and suffering from hypothermia since halftime, but, down by six and only two ticks left on the clock, he threw a touchdown pass to Kris Haines in what became known as the ''Chicken Soup Game.''

Gary Player (1978)

Player was in tenth place and seven strokes back coming into the last day. But he put together seven birdies on the last 10 holes for a final-round 64 and his third Masters title.

Johnny Miller (1973)

A relatively unknown, Johnny Miller entered the final round at Oakmont six strokes behind the leaders, but before the sun set that Sunday, the 26-year-old Miller had scorched the course and the competition with an 8-under 63. Hitting all 18 greens in regulation, he won by one stroke, beating out John Schlee, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. His final round total stands as the course record at Oakmont.

Cowboys defeat 49ers (1972)

Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach watched the first three quarters from the sidelines, nursing a separated shoulder he'd suffered in Week 5. But after the Cowboys spotted the 49ers a 28-13 lead, coach Tom Landry inserted Staubach for the fourth quarter. From there, ''Captain Comeback'' led the `Boys on a furious rally to a 30-28 victory.

Lasse Viren, 10,000m final (1972)

The cop from Finland was running in fifth place when he tripped and fell to the track with 14 laps to go. Passed (and partially trampled) by the rest of the leading pack, Virén got back on his feet, caught up and eventually fought all the way to the front, setting a world record in the process. (Photo from the 5,000m race)

Lions defeat 49ers (1957)

Y.A. Tittle fired three first-half touchdown passes to stake a 24-7 lead for the 49ers at the break. A field goal early in the third frame opened San Francisco's lead to 20 points, but Detroit's recommitted defense picked off three passes during the second half and helped the Lions overcome the deficit to win 31-27.