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If Warriors lose, then it's a flop

 
Published May 31, 2016

Despite finishing the regular season with a record-breaking 73 wins, the Golden State Warriors found themselves tied 3-3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference final. The defending NBA champions had to win Monday night to advance. If they lost, Golden State would join a list of dominant regular-season teams that were eliminated without reaching the finals.

Seattle SuperSonics (1993-94): The Sonics had the NBA's best record at 63-19 and the top seed in the West. Behind All-Stars Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, Seattle scored an average of 105.9 points per game. Facing the Nuggets and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo in the first round, the Sonics lost in five games. The Nuggets were the first eight seed to win a playoff series. They lost to the Jazz in the next round.

Detroit Red Wings (1995-96): The Red Wings finished with 62 wins and 131 points, breaking the NHL regular season records. Right wing Sergei Fedorov had a team-high 39 goals, followed by captain Steve Yzerman with 36. The Avalanche upset them in six games in the conference final, then went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Minnesota Vikings (1998): The 15-1 Vikings were only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games. Minnesota broke the then scoring record with 556 points, led by quarterback Randall Cunningham, wide receiver Cris Carter and rookie wide receiver Randy Moss. The team lost 30-27 to the Falcons in the NFC title game. Kicker Gary Anderson — who had not missed a kick all season — missed a 38-yard field goal that would have iced the game for the Vikings, who lost in overtime.

Los Angeles Angels (2014): With a 98-64 record, the Angels were the best team in baseball during the 2014 regular season behind sluggers Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. Then the Royals stunned them with a 3-0 sweep in the ALDS as the Angels batted just .170.