How difficult is it to win the No. 4 seed? Only one team has done it. Can the Pacers replicate the miracle?

The regular season record does not guarantee that the team will win the championship, but the probability of winning is usually positively correlated with the record ranking. If a team ranks only fourth in the division, then the difficulty of winning the championship is obviously not low. So which teams in history have entered the finals with the No. 4 seed? This column will help you understand.

1969 Celtics defeated the Lakers 4-3 in the finals and won the championship

The Lakers' lineup in the late 1960s was still star-studded even in NBA history. With players such as West, Baylor and Chamberlain, they can play mercury-like attacks. However, due to the existence of the Celtics, they failed several times in the finals. The integrity of the Celtics made the Lakers' superstars eventually fail. From the 1968 to 1969 season, the Lakers met the old enemy of the Celtics again in the finals. At this time, the Lakers seemed full of confidence. After all, they were the team with the best record in the West District, and the Celtics ranked fourth in the division. In terms of the luxury of the lineup and the regular season ranking, the Lakers undoubtedly have an overwhelming advantage. However, the Celtics' tenacity was beyond the expectations of the Lakers. They, who were more integrity, had a tough victory over the Lakers 108-106 in the tiebreaker battle and won the championship that year as the No. 4 seed.

1978 Supersonics: The finals lost 3-4 to Washington Bullets

The late 1970s was the most chaotic period in league history. At that time, there was no superstar in the league who could "overwhelm the heroes", and the situation of competing for the championship was almost like "changing the king's flag on the city wall." The Supersonics won the first championship trophy in the team's history in 1977, and in the following year, the Seattleman, who was the No. 4 seed in the regular season, once again stood on the finals stage, with their opponent being the Washington Bullets. Although the defending champion Supersonics won the first game first, Bullet, which had two inside superstars, Hayes and Anseld, finally came from behind and laughed to the end, helping the team win the first championship in team history with a total score of 4-3. Anseld, nicknamed "Bone Crusher", was finally elected as FMVP.

2006 Mavericks: The Heat 2-4 lost to the Heat in the finals

Although the Mavericks this year have the name of the No. 4 seed, if they are in the real record, they are only inferior to the Spurs in the West District, but they are only "sublime" because of the regular season ranking system at that time. That year, under the leadership of Nowitzki, the Mavericks defeated the strong opponents in a row and finally broke out of the Wild West to meet the Heat in the finals. The first two games of the finals continued the previous strong Mavericks' last two games. Just when everyone thought they had the last laugh, Wade's sudden explosion changed the trend of the game, and the Heat finally became the champion of that year's last four games.

2010 Celtics: Losing 3-4 to the Lakers in the Finals

In the regular season that year, due to injuries and age, the Celtics had shown a relatively obvious old attitude, and their 50-win regular season record can only be considered as average. But thanks to Rondo's growth and veteran experience, the Celtics in the playoffs have become more and more braver to enter the finals. This year's finals were Kobe's revenge battle. The Lakers finally defeated the Celtics through tiebreaks, and Kobe also completed the great cause of leading the team to win consecutive championships.

2018 Cavaliers: The finals lost to the Warriors 0-4 to 4 in the finals to the Warriors

2018 is the end of the four consecutive years of cavalry battles. In this year, the Cavaliers experienced great personnel turmoil. Fortunately, James used his strong enough personal ability to ensure that the team was the No. 4 seed to enter the finals for the fourth consecutive year. The Warriors Universe level lineup in the finals did not give the Cavaliers any chance, and ended the series cleanly with a total score of 4-0.

2025 Pacers

Pacers counterattacked as the No. 4 seed when they were not optimistic. If they could win in the tiebreak, they would be the second team in history to be crowned the championship as the No. 4 seed.