- The Warriors are down 3-1 to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
- Teams facing a 3-1 deficit have not fared well historically in the NBA playoffs.
The Golden State Warriors trail the Los Angeles Lakers 3-1 in their Western Conference semifinals series heading into Wednesday night's game in San Francisco.
At this moment, it's safe to say that the odds are against the reigning champion Warriors. Despite still carrying much of the title-winning roster that carried them to victory in six games in the NBA Finals last year, the Warriors have their backs against the wall.
Historically, the team leading an NBA series 3-1 has gone on to win the series 95.3% of the time. Teams have successfully pulled off a 3-1 comeback just 13 times in the history of the league, the most recent of which came in 2020 when the Denver Nuggets escaped two 3-1 deficits in the NBA bubble.
But while the numbers might suggest the Warriors need a miracle to come back against the Lakers, a corgi on TikTok is giving fans hope that their team will find a way to victory.
The account aircorg has a following of 1.3 million on TikTok. In videos posted to the page, the dog shoots a basketball down steps towards two baskets in an attempt to predict the series outcomes of the playoffs in various sports.
While aircorg's record across the lifetime of the account is far from perfect, so far in the Lakers-Warriors series, the dog has called every game correctly. And according to the corgi, the Warriors are winning the final three games of the series to secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals.
Take a look for yourself.
@aircorg Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers, who’s winning? ♂️ #nba #2023nbaplayoffs #dubnation #warriors #LA #lakers ♬ Cupid – Twin Ver. (FIFTY FIFTY) – Sped Up Version - sped up 8282
When the Lakers won Monday night's game to take their 3-1 lead in the series, fans began to take notice. Despite the Warriors having their backs against the wall, this corgi had faith in them.
—• (@Zauvaughn) May 9, 2023
—Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) May 9, 2023
—NBA University (@NBA_University) May 9, 2023
"Warriors fans really have to rely on a dog to see if they win a series against us," one tweet from a Lakers fan read. "I can't believe our season is in the hands of this dog," read a tweet from a Warriors supporter.
Whether or not you believe in the corgi's abilities, the stage is set for a wild finish to this series.
Of all the 3-1 series comebacks, the most infamous is LeBron leading the Cavaliers to a comeback win in the NBA Finals when trailing the Warriors 3-1 in 2016.
Now, the core of that Warriors team — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green — have the chance to flip the script on LeBron and deliver a 3-1 comeback of their own.
Their fate is in their hands, and possibly, the paws of one famous corgi.