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Top 10 Best Teams That Failed to Win the Title

Yahoo Sports Staff
  • <p>The 2016 Golden State Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season, but they fell just short after losing a seven-game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland won after becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. </p>
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    Warriors

    The 2016 Golden State Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season, but they fell just short after losing a seven-game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland won after becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.

  • <p>The 2007 Dallas Mavericks were one of just three teams in NBA history to win at least 67 games (67-15 record) without winning a championship, joining the 1973 Celtics and the 2016 San Antonio Spurs. But the 2007 Mavs are the only one of those three to fail to make it out of the first round, as Dallas was upset by the Warriors in the opening round. </p>
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    2007Mavericks

    The 2007 Dallas Mavericks were one of just three teams in NBA history to win at least 67 games (67-15 record) without winning a championship, joining the 1973 Celtics and the 2016 San Antonio Spurs. But the 2007 Mavs are the only one of those three to fail to make it out of the first round, as Dallas was upset by the Warriors in the opening round.

  • <p>Not only did the 2015 Carolina Panthers post a rare 15-1 record, they looked unstoppable in their first two playoff games. It all came crashing down for Cam Newton and company with a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. </p>
    3/11

    Broncos Miller Football

    Not only did the 2015 Carolina Panthers post a rare 15-1 record, they looked unstoppable in their first two playoff games. It all came crashing down for Cam Newton and company with a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

  • <p>Adding to the list of 15-1 NFL seasons that failed to yield Super Bowl wins, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings suffered one of the biggest NFC Championship stunners of all time with a 30-27 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss-led Vikings had a golden opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation, but Gary Anderson missed a 38-yard potential game-winning field goal. </p>
    4/11

    1998Vikings

    Adding to the list of 15-1 NFL seasons that failed to yield Super Bowl wins, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings suffered one of the biggest NFC Championship stunners of all time with a 30-27 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss-led Vikings had a golden opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation, but Gary Anderson missed a 38-yard potential game-winning field goal.

  • <p>The Boston Bruins completed the 1929-30 regular season with a 38-5-1 record, which still stands as the highest win percentage (.875) in NHL history. But the Montreal Canadiens shocked Boston with back-to-back wins in the best-of-three Stanley Cup Final. </p>
    5/11

    1930Bruins

    The Boston Bruins completed the 1929-30 regular season with a 38-5-1 record, which still stands as the highest win percentage (.875) in NHL history. But the Montreal Canadiens shocked Boston with back-to-back wins in the best-of-three Stanley Cup Final.

  • <p>Prior to this year’s Warriors, the 1973 Boston Celtics held the unfortunate record of most regular season wins for a non-champion. Despite a 68-14 record, that year’s Celtics were upset by the New York Knicks in a seven-game Eastern Conference finals. </p>
    6/11

    1973Celtics

    Prior to this year’s Warriors, the 1973 Boston Celtics held the unfortunate record of most regular season wins for a non-champion. Despite a 68-14 record, that year’s Celtics were upset by the New York Knicks in a seven-game Eastern Conference finals.

  • <p>Behind then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers rampaged their way to a 15-1 regular season finish, only to see their Super Bowl hopes derailed after a 41-27 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. </p>
    7/11

    2004Steelers

    Behind then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers rampaged their way to a 15-1 regular season finish, only to see their Super Bowl hopes derailed after a 41-27 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.

  • <p>The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings still stand as the winningest regular season team of all time with their gaudy 62-13-7 record. Detroit met its match in the Western Conference finals though, falling in six games to the Colorado Avalanche. </p>
    8/11

    1996RedWings

    The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings still stand as the winningest regular season team of all time with their gaudy 62-13-7 record. Detroit met its match in the Western Conference finals though, falling in six games to the Colorado Avalanche.

  • <p>Despite tying a 95-year-old MLB record for single-season wins after finishing the season 116-46, the 2001 Seattle Mariners didn’t even come close to advancing to the World Series. They bowed out relatively quietly in five games against the New York Yankees in the ALCS. </p>
    9/11

    2001Mariners

    Despite tying a 95-year-old MLB record for single-season wins after finishing the season 116-46, the 2001 Seattle Mariners didn’t even come close to advancing to the World Series. They bowed out relatively quietly in five games against the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

  • <p>Other than the 2001 Mariners, the only other team to win 116 games was the 1906 Chicago Cubs. And the Cubs did it in 10 less games than Seattle did, finishing with a 116-36 record. Even so, that season ended in major disappointment for the Cubs, who lost the World Series in six games to the crosstown Chicago White Sox. </p>
    10/11

    1906Cubs

    Other than the 2001 Mariners, the only other team to win 116 games was the 1906 Chicago Cubs. And the Cubs did it in 10 less games than Seattle did, finishing with a 116-36 record. Even so, that season ended in major disappointment for the Cubs, who lost the World Series in six games to the crosstown Chicago White Sox.

  • <p>The 2007 New England Patriots stand as the only team to complete a perfect 16-0 regular season since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. These Patriots would have almost certainly gone down as the greatest team in NFL history had it not been for one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The New York Giants (10-6 that season) shocked the world with a 17-14 win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII. </p>
    11/11

    2007Patriots

    The 2007 New England Patriots stand as the only team to complete a perfect 16-0 regular season since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. These Patriots would have almost certainly gone down as the greatest team in NFL history had it not been for one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The New York Giants (10-6 that season) shocked the world with a 17-14 win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII.

<p>The 2016 Golden State Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season, but they fell just short after losing a seven-game series to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland won after becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals. </p>
<p>The 2007 Dallas Mavericks were one of just three teams in NBA history to win at least 67 games (67-15 record) without winning a championship, joining the 1973 Celtics and the 2016 San Antonio Spurs. But the 2007 Mavs are the only one of those three to fail to make it out of the first round, as Dallas was upset by the Warriors in the opening round. </p>
<p>Not only did the 2015 Carolina Panthers post a rare 15-1 record, they looked unstoppable in their first two playoff games. It all came crashing down for Cam Newton and company with a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. </p>
<p>Adding to the list of 15-1 NFL seasons that failed to yield Super Bowl wins, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings suffered one of the biggest NFC Championship stunners of all time with a 30-27 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss-led Vikings had a golden opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation, but Gary Anderson missed a 38-yard potential game-winning field goal. </p>
<p>The Boston Bruins completed the 1929-30 regular season with a 38-5-1 record, which still stands as the highest win percentage (.875) in NHL history. But the Montreal Canadiens shocked Boston with back-to-back wins in the best-of-three Stanley Cup Final. </p>
<p>Prior to this year’s Warriors, the 1973 Boston Celtics held the unfortunate record of most regular season wins for a non-champion. Despite a 68-14 record, that year’s Celtics were upset by the New York Knicks in a seven-game Eastern Conference finals. </p>
<p>Behind then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers rampaged their way to a 15-1 regular season finish, only to see their Super Bowl hopes derailed after a 41-27 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. </p>
<p>The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings still stand as the winningest regular season team of all time with their gaudy 62-13-7 record. Detroit met its match in the Western Conference finals though, falling in six games to the Colorado Avalanche. </p>
<p>Despite tying a 95-year-old MLB record for single-season wins after finishing the season 116-46, the 2001 Seattle Mariners didn’t even come close to advancing to the World Series. They bowed out relatively quietly in five games against the New York Yankees in the ALCS. </p>
<p>Other than the 2001 Mariners, the only other team to win 116 games was the 1906 Chicago Cubs. And the Cubs did it in 10 less games than Seattle did, finishing with a 116-36 record. Even so, that season ended in major disappointment for the Cubs, who lost the World Series in six games to the crosstown Chicago White Sox. </p>
<p>The 2007 New England Patriots stand as the only team to complete a perfect 16-0 regular season since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. These Patriots would have almost certainly gone down as the greatest team in NFL history had it not been for one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. The New York Giants (10-6 that season) shocked the world with a 17-14 win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII. </p>

There’s no better way to ruin a great season than falling apart in the playoffs. In the case of the 2016 Golden State Warriors, it took an epic collapse in the NBA Finals after holding a 3-1 series lead against the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers. As historic as Golden State’s fall may have been, history includes a lot of great teams that weren’t able to finish the job and win a championship. They were the teams left wondering what could have been. Here’s a list of some of the best teams in major professional sports that fell short of winning championships.