10 teams which clawed back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Playoffs

#7 1981 Eastern Conference Finals: Boston Celtics defeat the Philadelphia 76ers

Larry Bird led the Celtics to a memorable comeback

Larry Bird was just a couple of years old in the NBA, and he was quick to stamp his name on the big stage. Bird's bank shot in the final minute helped the Celtics pull away from the Sixers in Game 7.

Boston seemed to need all the luck of the Irish when they faced a six-point deficit in Game 5. That comeback set the tone for the rest of the series. Game 6 saw the Celtics overcome a 15 point deficit in the third quarter and Game 7 witnessed a 7 point comeback halfway through the fourth quarter.

Bird had a sour taste in his mouth as the Celtics had lost to the Sixers the previous year in the Eastern Conference Finals. He got his revenge here.

The win proved even sweeter as the Celtics ended up defeating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals 4-2.

Comeback scorelines:

Game 5: at Celtics 111, 76ers 109 (At Boston)Game 6: Celtics 100, at 76ers 98 (At Philadelphia)Game 7: at Celtics 91, 76ers 90 (At Boston)