How LeBron James Performed When Facing a Sweep in the NBA Playoffs

• Seasoned veteran LeBron James finds himself in another tough spot in the NBA playoffs
• The Lakers are 0-3 down in the Western Conference finals and on the brink of elimination
• Sports Brief looks at all the instances where the 38-year-old faced a sweep in his career

NBA all-time leading scorer, LeBron James has plenty of experience in the NBA playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers veteran has been swept in the NBA Finals, made a historic 3-1 comeback, and produced many clutch performances over the years.

In the 2023 playoffs, the 38-year-old finds himself in familiar territory, with his team 0-3 down in the best-of-seven series.

The Lakers went 0-3 down after losing Game 3 of the Western Conference finals to the Denver Nuggets and need a miracle to advance to the NBA Finals.

Sports Brief looks at how the 20-year veteran has performed when facing a sweep in the NBA playoffs.

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After the Game 3 loss to the Nuggets, James is now 0-3 down for the fourth time in his career. NBA teams are 0-149 when facing a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, and the Lakers have never even forced a Game 5 when in this position, going 0-8, per ESPN.

Therefore, James and the Lakers face an uphill battle against the top seed in the Western Conference.

Although he has never overcome a 0-3 deficit, he knows a thing or two about pulling off a historic comeback. In the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers make an improbable comeback from 1-3 down to win his third NBA title.

James' history of 0-3 down

The four-time NBA MVP faced three 0-3 deficits in his playoffs career. He went 0-3 in those series.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs - 2007 NBA Finals

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The first time James went 0-3 down in a playoff series was during the 2007 NBA Finals against the Spurs dynasty led by Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. James was only 22 years old then and averaged 22 points per game. James and the Cavaliers could not stop the Spurs, who ended up sweeping them.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors - 2017 NBA Finals

It would take another decade for James to go 0-3 down in the NBA playoffs. This time around, he was a superstar and had won three NBA championships. However, he was facing another dynasty in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors had gone 12-0 in the Western Conference before the finals, and the finals was considered a formality.

Led by future Hall of Famers Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, the Warriors' juggernaut raced to a comfortable 3-0 series lead. In Game 4, the Cavaliers had to break a few NBA records to win. They scored 49 points in the first quarter and drained an NBA record 24 three-pointers, per USA Today.

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The Warriors would win the title in Game 5 at home.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors - 2018 NBA Finals

James and the Cavaliers got another chance to avenge their 2017 loss. Their team was much weaker since Kyrie Irving, a key player in their 2016 title win, had departed to the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors team from 2017 was very much intact and easily swept Cleveland to win their third NBA title in four seasons, per SI.

James' performance when facing sweep

James has not had great performances when facing a sweep in the playoffs. Here's how he performed, per Sporting News.

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Overall, the veteran has averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game when facing a series sweep.

The Lakers will need a historic performance to beat the Nuggets in Game 4 or risk going home. If they don't, it would still be a successful season for the Lakers, who began the season 2-10 and had to go through the Play-In Tournament to make the playoffs.

NBA teams facing 0-3 down

Sports Brief earlier looked at NBA teams forcing Game 6 or 7 when trailing 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series.

The Lakers and the Celtics are 0-3 down in the conference finals and need to win four straight games to advance.

Several teams have forced a Game 6, but only three have forced a Game 7 - but none of these teams would win.