The National Basketball Association Playoffs began during the weekend ”“ and started with a bang.

The Los Angeles Clippers appeared dead in the water at the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, and at one point, they trailed by 27 points. But never count a team out in a basketball game.

It’s true the NBA has taken a talent hit in the past 10 years and the level of play has dropped, but the basketball “comeback” is still extremely exciting. Just ask Los Angeles and Memphis.

The Clippers rallied as Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the middle of a Clippers’ 26-1 run. This was after the Clippers trailed 85-64 to start the fourth quarter. Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Clippers capped the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA Playoffs history.

If you missed the game, then you missed pure excitement. NBA Playoffs basketball is so electrifying and so intriguing that it is must-see programming. The playoffs epitomize what basketball is: A game where a team can never be counted out.

It doesn’t matter what level of basketball is being played, since any team, at any moment can erase a huge deficit and pull off the unthinkable.

Just ask the Maryland Terrapins. In 2001, Maryland led the Duke Blue Devils by 10 points with 54 seconds remaining. The game was at Maryland and the Terrapins were on their way to the win. Not so fast. Duke’s Jay Williams hit a layup, a 3-pointer and then another 3-pointer before a teammate hit two free throws, and Duke had tied the game. The Blue Devils won it in overtime. Just like that, Maryland’s victory blew away as the Blue Devils players celebrated a record comeback win.

Sticking with the college game, perhaps one of the greatest comebacks of all time happened when the University of Kentucky played Louisiana State University in a midseason Southeastern Conference game at LSU in 1994. LSU led by 31 points in the second half before the Wildcats stormed back behind a barrage of 3s and left Baton Rouge, La. with a win.

Many Boston fans also remember a huge NBA Playoffs comeback by the Celtics in the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 against the New Jersey Nets.

The Celtics trailed the Nets by 21 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but outscored New Jersey 41-16 in the final 12 minutes. Paul Pierce scored 19 points during the comeback and Boston won 94-90.

In 2008, the Celtics did it again, this time to the Los Angeles Lakers, in the NBA Finals Game 4.

The Lakers led by as many as 24 points in the first half, but Boston cut the lead from 18 to 2 by outscoring the Lakers 31-15 in the third quarter. Ray Allen hit a layup in the final 20 seconds that put Boston ahead and the Celtics went on to win the game 97-91.

Comebacks also happen in high school basketball, and one needs look no further than the Biddeford Tigers.

During a boys basketball game against Westbrook in Biddeford earlier this year, the Tigers found themselves down by as many as 23 points in the second half. Biddeford rallied behind the play of Bobby Cote and won the game.

It’s true that every sport has its comebacks, as football teams have erased three-touchdown deficits late in the game, or baseball teams have scored 12 runs in the final inning to win by one, but there seems to be something more special and eyepopping about the basketball comeback. Perhaps its the quickness in which it can happen? Perhaps it’s the excitement of the crowd filling a basketball arena? Whatever it is, they will continue to happen so just sit back and enjoy the show.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.