Entering Sunday afternoon, only two teams this century had ever come back from 30-point deficits or worse.
The defending champs are now the third.
Led by Kyle Lowry’s 20-point fourth quarter, the Raptors erased a 30-point hole in just 9:02 of game action before holding on for a stunning 110-107 win over Dallas. The rally was the team’s largest in franchise history.
Largest NBA comebacks since 2000-01
| Deficit | Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Dec. 21, 2009 | Sacramento Kings | Chicago Bulls | 102-98 |
| 30 | Dec. 22, 2019 | Toronto Raptors | Dallas Mavericks | 110-107 |
| 30 | Dec. 6, 2002 | Los Angeles Lakers | Dallas Mavericks | 105-103 |
A Dwight Powell layup put Dallas up 85-55 with 2:32 left in the third quarter. Toronto’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sank a layup to tie the game 95-95 with 5:30 remaining. That capped a nine-minute, two-second stretch in which the Raptors outscored the Mavericks 40-10.
Toronto held Dallas to just 6-of-25 shooting over the final 14:33 en route to miraculously clinching their fifth consecutive win. Lowry, along with vital bench contributions from Chris Boucher and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, was the hero of the game. The Raptors crowd that was silent in the third quarter erupted with chants of “Lowry! Lowry! Lowry!” as the five-time All-Star walked the ball up the court with just over two minutes remaining.
🗣 “LOWRY, LOWRY, LOWRY”
Toronto is loving the comeback pic.twitter.com/Ab3P8C6uLA
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) December 22, 2019
For the Mavericks, the defeat marks the second time they have lost a 30-point lead to the defending champions, the other occasion being in 2002 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dallas is playing with superstar guard Luka Doncic, who is recovering from a sprained ankle.
