May 20th news, the NBA playoffs is not only the ultimate battlefield for the championship every year, but also a mirror that reflects the true strength and psychological endurance of each team under high pressure. In the past decade, many strong teams that were considered favorites to win the championship suffered a tragic defeat at the most critical moment.

In 2015 , the Los Angeles Clippers had the potential to advance further after eliminating the Spurs in seven games in the first round. However, in the Western Conference semifinals against the Rockets, the Clippers suffered a reversal when they were leading 3-1 , completely shattering the dream of the " Big Three " of Chris Paul , Blake Griffin and Michael Jordan to win the championship. The core lineup of the Clippers has never made a breakthrough in the playoffs since then.

In 2016 , the Thunder also led the Warriors 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals . Durant and Westbrook were in hot form and were about to end the Warriors' 73 -win myth, but they lost in the last three games, especially the collapse in the fourth quarter of Game 6. What's worse, Durant later switched to the Warriors, making this defeat a permanent pain for Thunder fans.

The Warriors' 2016 Finals defeat also went down in history. They were leading the Cavaliers 3-1 , but lost three games in a row after Draymond Green was suspended, becoming the first team in history to be reversed after leading 3-1 in the Finals . LeBron's block and Irving's winning three-pointer became the saddest ending to the 73- win season.

The Rockets in 2018 were also a representative of regret. In the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors led by Durant, the Rockets lost Paul when they were leading 3-2 in the series. In Game 7 , they missed 27 three-pointers in a row and ultimately fell short. That 65- win Rockets team was one of the teams that came closest to ending the Warriors dynasty.

In 2022 , the Suns lost 33 points at home in Game 7 of the series against the Mavericks . They were left far behind by their opponents in the first half, and their dominance of 64 wins in the regular season collapsed instantly. In 2023 , the Bucks, as the team with the best record in the league, were eliminated by the Heat in the first round. Antetokounmpo's injury certainly had a huge impact, but the team's defensive collapse and the coach's on-the-spot mismanagement were also important reasons. In 2024 , the champion Denver Nuggets were expected to retain their title, but were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals. In the sixth game, they lost by 45 points, and in the seventh game, they were reversed after leading by 20 points, causing the defending champions to be eliminated.

In 2025 , the Boston Celtics continued this " tragic " tradition. When they faced the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, they lost a 20- point lead in the first two games, and lost their star player Tatum in the fourth game, and finally lost 2-4 to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite winning 60+ games for two consecutive seasons, the Celtics once again fell at the threshold of the playoffs, becoming one of the most disappointing teams this season.

These losses remind all teams that regular season glory does not guarantee playoff success, and that psychological quality, adaptability and team integrity at critical moments are the factors that truly determine fate.