who won the first game in the nba finals last year
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The 1973 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1972–73 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the culmination of that season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 to win their second championship. The series was an exact reversal of the prior year, this time with the Lakers winning Game 1 and the Knicks taking the next four games. Knicks center Willis Reed was named as the NBA Finals MVP. Background Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 1973 NBA Playoffs as co-favorites in the West with the Milwaukee Bucks, but both teams faced inspired opponents in the first round. The Chicago Bulls gave the Lakers all they could handle before the Lakers came from behind in Game 7 to take the series. The Lakers next faced the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference championship (the Warriors had upset the Bucks in six games). In Game 1, the Lakers won by 2, and in Game 2 the Lakers won by 10. In Game 3 at Oakland, the Lakers routed the Warriors 126–70, but the Warriors won Game 4 to send the series back to Los Angeles. In the Forum, the Lakers took Game 5 and advanced to their fifth NBA Finals series in six seasons. New York Knicks One year after their NBA Finals loss, the Knicks were back in the playoffs. For some of the Knicks, including Jerry Lucas and Earl Monroe, this was probably their last shot at an NBA title. In the first round they paired against the Baltimore Bullets. The Knicks won games 1 and 2 in New York, but lost Game 3 at Baltimore (in that game, the Bullets used a strange lineup of two centers and three guards). New York would take Games 4 and 5 and Walt Frazier averaged 20 points per game in this series. In the Conference Finals, the Knicks faced the 68–14 Boston Celtics, who not only had the league's best record but also, to that point, the third-best won-lost record in NBA history. The Celtics routed New York, 134–108, Game 1 at the Boston Garden, but the Knicks returned the favor with a 129–96 rout in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks then beat the Celtics in Game 3 in Boston, and took a 3–1 series lead with a double overtime Easter Sunday win back in New York. Boston came back with two critical wins, winning 98–97 in Boston on two Paul Silas free throws, then regaining the home-court advantage with a 110–100 win at New York in Game 6. For Game 7, however, the Celtics were without their star John Havlicek, who was nursing an elbow injury. In that Game 7, played in Boston, the Celtics unbeaten record in seventh games played in Boston Garden was snapped when New York won easily, 94–78. Road to the Finals Series summary After losing the first game, the Knicks reeled
1973 NBA Finals
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The 2000–01 NBA season was the Lakers' 53rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 41st in the city of Los Angeles. The Lakers entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals in six games, winning their twelfth NBA championship. During the off-season, the Lakers acquired Horace Grant from the Seattle SuperSonics. Grant won three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s. The team also signed free agent Isaiah Rider, who was released by the Atlanta Hawks during the previous season due to off the court troubles, and signed Greg Foster, who had two NBA Finals appearances with the Utah Jazz. Derek Fisher only played just 20 games due to a stress fracture in his right foot, which forced him to miss the first 62 games of the regular season. The Lakers held a 31–16 record at the All-Star break, and won their final eight games, finishing the regular season with a 56–26 record, and won the Pacific Division over the rival Sacramento Kings by one game. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were both selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, but O'Neal did not play due to a foot injury. The Lakers clinched the #2 seed in the playoffs. O’Neal averaged 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Bryant averaged 28.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In addition, Fisher provided the team with 11.5 points and 4.4 assists per game, while Rick Fox contributed 9.6 points per game, and Grant provided with 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Both O'Neal and Bryant were also selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, as O'Neal finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting with 7 first-place votes. In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the Portland Trail Blazers in three straight games in the Western Conference First Round, swept the 3rd-seeded Kings in four straight games in the Western Conference Semi-finals, then swept the top–seeded San Antonio Spurs also in four straight games in the Western Conference Finals. They went on to win the NBA Finals, 4–1 against regular season MVP Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers, earning the franchise its 13th NBA championship. O'Neal was named Finals MVP for the second straight year. It was the second of the Lakers' three-peat championships to begin the millennium. The Lakers would finish with the then-best postseason record in NBA history, posting a 15–1 record, suffering their only loss in a Game 1 overtime home loss to the 76ers in the NBA Finals, 107–101. That record would last for 16 years until the Golden State Warriors went 16–1 in the 2017 playoffs. Following the season, Grant re-signed as a free agent with his former team, the Orlando Magic, while Rider signed with the Denver Nuggets, Tyronn Lue signed with the Washington Wizards, Foster was traded to the Milwaukee
2000–01 Los Angeles Lakers season
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The 1990–91 NBA season was the 45th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA Championship, eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. This season would prove to be Magic Johnson's last full season as a player, as he announced he was HIV positive and retired early the following season (Johnson would play part of the 1995-96 NBA season with the Lakers before permanently retiring). Notable occurrences The Trent Tucker Rule was adopted. When Trent Tucker hit a walk-off three-point field goal at the buzzer in the previous season, the clock had started with 0.1 left. It prevents any shot to be taken with up to 0.2 seconds left in the period; the lone exception was a tip-in. The Los Angeles Lakers failed to win their division for the first time in ten years. The Pacific Division was won by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Orlando Magic moved to the Midwest Division of the Western Conference, but like the Miami Heat two seasons ago, experienced long road trips back and forth out west. They would move to the Atlantic Division the next season. The 1991 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the East defeating the West 116–114. Charles Barkley of the Philadelphia 76ers won the game's MVP award. In the Three-Point Shootout, Chicago Bulls guard Craig Hodges set a record by making 19 consecutive shots, en route to winning his second straight shootout title, and Boston Celtics guard Dee Brown won the Slam Dunk Contest. The Minnesota Timberwolves played their first season at the Target Center. They had played their first season at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome while Target Center was being built. The NBA on NBC began (replacing The NBA on CBS) when the National Broadcasting Company signed a 4-year, US$600 million deal with the NBA. The relationship lasted 12 years (concluding at the end of the 2001–02 NBA season), until The NBA on ABC returned in 2002–03. On December 30, the last game of 1990, Scott Skiles of Orlando recorded 30 assists in a game against the Denver Nuggets to set a new NBA record. The Utah Jazz played their final season at the Salt Palace. The flagrant foul was instituted. For the first time since 1981, the Los Angeles Lakers were not the Number 1 seed in the Western Conference. However they still reached the NBA Finals by upsetting the heavily favored (and Number 1 seeded) Portland Trail Blazers in six games. They would go on to lose to the Chicago Bulls in five games, their last NBA Finals appearance until 2000. During the season, all NBA teams sport patches featuring the American flag on their warmups as an honor to the American soldiers fighting during the Persian Gulf War. Champion became the league's official outfitter. The Golden State Warriors became the only seventh seeded team to beat the second seed twice since the
1990–91 NBA season
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The 1997 NBA Finals was the concluding series of the 1997 NBA playoffs that determined the champion of the 1996–97 NBA season. The Western Conference champion Utah Jazz took on the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls for the title, with the Bulls holding home court advantage. The series were played under a best-of-seven format, with the first 2 games in Chicago, the next 3 games in Salt Lake City, and the last 2 games in Chicago. The Bulls won the series 4 games to 2. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP. The Bulls and Jazz won a combined 133 regular season games, second most in Finals history. Until 2016, the 1997 NBA Finals was the last to feature teams that won a total of at least 130 regular season games. Background Chicago Bulls For the Chicago Bulls, the campaign was almost identical to their record-breaking 1995–96 season. They began the season 12–0, and by the All-Star break, were 42–6, putting them on pace to win 70 games for a second year in a row. But some late-season injuries and poor play, including Scottie Pippen's failed attempt at a game-winning three-pointer in the Bulls' final regular season game against the New York Knicks, denied them another 70-win season, and the Bulls settled for a league-best 69–13 record. This tied the 1971–72 Los Angeles Lakers for the third-best regular season, only behind the 1995–96 Bulls (72–10) and the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors (73–9). In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the Washington Bullets in the first round, dispatched the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the second round, then defeated the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Utah Jazz The Jazz emerged as a force in the Western Conference during the 1990s, powered by its All-Star duo of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals three times between 1992 and 1996, (1992, 1994 and 1996), but lost on each occasion. However, a different story was written for the 1996–97 season. Powered by league MVP Karl Malone, along with the talented John Stockton, the Jazz finally asserted themselves atop the Western Conference, finishing with a franchise-record 64 wins. In the playoffs, Utah swept the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening round and eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the second round. Then, with John Stockton's buzzer-beating, three-point shot in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, eliminated the Houston Rockets to advance to their first NBA Finals in franchise history. Road to the Finals Regular season series Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team: 1997 NBA Finals rosters Chicago Bulls Utah Jazz Series summary The Finals were played using a 2–3–2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage's (Chicago's) home court (United Center). Had the Western Conference
1997 NBA Finals
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The 2016 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2015–16 season. The tournament ended with the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeating the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4 games to 3 after the Warriors led the series 3 games to 1. In the NBA Finals, LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP. The Cavaliers swept their first two series and won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors to become the fourth team in NBA history to open a post-season with 10 straight victories. They matched the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, though the 1989 and 2001 Western Conference Los Angeles Lakers had won their first eleven games en route to sweeping the first three rounds of those playoffs. Cleveland wound up repeating this feat the next year when they swept the conference opening round, semifinal round, and winning the first 2 conference final games; this feat would be surpassed in those same 2017 NBA playoffs, when the Golden State Warriors won 15 straight games. Overview Western Conference The Golden State Warriors entered the playoffs with the best regular-season record in NBA history. The Warriors won 73 games, breaking the previous record of 72 wins set by the Chicago Bulls in the 1995–96 season. Golden State appeared in their fourth consecutive postseason for the first time since making six straight appearances from 1947–52. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder returned to the postseason after a one season absence. The San Antonio Spurs finished just six games behind the Warriors for the best record in the NBA, entering their 19th consecutive postseason, having just one home loss in the regular season, setting a new single-season franchise record for wins. The Spurs' 40–1 home record equaled the feat set by the 1985–86 Boston Celtics. However, they lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Eastern Conference The Toronto Raptors also finished with a franchise record for single-season victories, winning 56 games. They finished one game shy of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals. The Detroit Pistons qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers returned to the playoffs after a one-season absence. For the first time since 1999, all teams from the Eastern Conference finished with a better record against at least one team from the Western Conference. In addition, all Eastern Conference teams finished with records over .500 for the first time since 2012. First Round Game 4 between the Cavaliers and the Pistons was the last playoff game played at the Palace of Auburn Hills, as well as the last major league postseason game played in Oakland County. The Pistons missed the playoffs the next year and moved to their new arena for the 2017–18 season. Game 7
2016 NBA playoffs
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The 1985–86 Boston Celtics season was the 40th season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished with the best record in the league at 67–15, including a 40–1 record at home (37–1 at the Boston Garden, 3–0 at the Hartford Civic Center). Those 40 home wins set an NBA record which would only be matched by the San Antonio Spurs in 2016. Widely regarded among the greatest teams in NBA history, their 67 total wins were one win shy of tying their franchise record of 68 wins set in 1972–73, and tied for fifth all-time Larry Bird won his third consecutive MVP award and Bill Walton won the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The team was anchored by the "Big Three" frontcourt of Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, which is frequently ranked among the best frontcourts in NBA history. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Chicago Bulls in three games in the First Round, then defeated the Atlanta Hawks in five games in the Semi-finals, before sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in four games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a third consecutive season. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics faced off against the Houston Rockets in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, which the Celtics won in six games, winning every home game in the playoffs. The Celtics would go on to win their 16th championship and the last for 22 years, defeating the Houston Rockets in six games in the NBA Finals, and had won 82 combined regular season and playoff games, a record that stood until the Chicago Bulls racked up 87 combined wins en route to a title (the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors broke that record with 88 combined wins, although they infamously lost the finals). NBA draft The 1985 NBA draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. The lottery was put into place so teams could not intentionally lose games to receive the number one pick. Season Synopsis The Celtics were coming from a 6-game NBA Finals series against their arch-rival the Los Angeles Lakers. They ended with a record 63-19 during the regular season, a league-best record, earning home court advantage throughout the playoffs. November They started their 1985–86 season campaign with a 109-113 OT loss to the New Jersey Nets, despite a near quadruple-double performance from Larry Bird who recorded 21 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 8 steals for the Celtics. The next day, Kevin McHale's 26 points and 15 rebounds led the Celtics towards a 105-100 road win over the Cavaliers. Four days later, the Celtics defeated the visiting Bucks, 117–106, with Bird, McHale, Parish and Johnson, all scoring at least 20 points. They ended the month of November with a 2–1 record. Regular season Under head coach K. C. Jones, the 1985–86 Boston Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 67–15. This team is generally
1985–86 Boston Celtics season
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The 2008–09 Boston Celtics season was the 63rd season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They started the season as the defending NBA champions, where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, winning their seventeenth NBA championship, as well as marking their ninth series victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Celtics started the season 27–2, which surpassed a mark set by the 1966–67 Philadelphia 76ers for the best two-loss start in NBA history. This run also included a 19-game winning streak, which improved a Celtics franchise record set in 1981–82. However, the Celtics lost seven out of the following nine games, and eventually finished with a 62–20 record. The Celtics had the fifth best team offensive rating in the NBA. The team's star power forward Kevin Garnett suffered a season-ending injury in February. Despite not having Garnett, they defeated the Chicago Bulls in the first round in seven games, However, they lost to the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals in seven games, eliminating them from the playoffs. The Magic would go on to the NBA Finals, their second NBA Finals appearance, only to lose to last year's Finals runner-up, the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. Until 2024, this was the last time that the Celtics won 60 or more games. Key dates June 26: The 2008 NBA draft took place in New York City. July 1: The free agency period started. October 8: The pre-season started with a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. October 28: The regular season started with a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which Boston won 90–85. December 11: Recorded the best season start in franchise history, starting at 21–2. December 23: Recorded the longest winning streak in franchise history at 19, and the best season start in NBA history with 27–2. Summary NBA Draft 2008 On June 26, the Celtics selected shooting guard J. R. Giddens with the 30th and center Semih Erden with the 60th overall picks in the 2008 NBA draft, and traded cash considerations in exchange for small forward Bill Walker, who had been selected by the Washington Wizards with the 47th overall pick. Giddens had worked out with the Celtics before the draft for three days, and received praises from head coach Doc Rivers, who thought he could fight for minutes on the team right away. He was already familiar with future teammates Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins, who were his teammates at the 2003 McDonald's High School All-American Game. Walker was considered a lottery pick, but suffered the third knee injury in his career during a workout at the Golden State Warriors facility on June 15. However, he remained in the draft despite the injury, and was expected to have minor surgery in July that would keep him out for three to four weeks. Erden was not expected to join the roster this season, and was seen by general manager Danny Ainge as their first-round pick in 2009. Free agency The
2008–09 Boston Celtics season
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The 2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 62nd season of the franchise, 61st in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 50th in Los Angeles. During the offseason, the Lakers signed free agent and former defensive player of the year forward Ron Artest. Coming off from winning their fifteenth championship in the NBA Finals defeating the Orlando Magic in five games, the Lakers successfully defended their title. They spent the most money of any team on player salaries that season, totaling $112.7 million ($91.3 million on player salaries and $21.4 million on luxury tax). The Lakers once again sold out all 41 home games for the season at Staples Center. The Lakers clinched the Pacific Division for the 21st time in franchise history. Despite winning eight games less than the previous season, they still held the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs and made it to the NBA Finals for the third straight season in which they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the first round, swept the Utah Jazz in four games in semifinals and the Phoenix Suns in six games in the Western Conference Finals in which the Lakers were favored to beat the Suns en route to advancing to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals won by the Celtics 4 games to 2. This time, the Lakers won the series 4 games to 3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. Kobe Bryant won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP as well as his fifth and final NBA Championship. After the Finals, Bryant underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in July. On July 14, 2010, Phil Jackson won the 2010 ESPY Awards for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player. This was the last time the Lakers won an NBA championship until 2020. Key dates June 25 – The 2009 NBA draft took place in New York City. July 8 – The free agency period started. October 7 – The Lakers played their first preseason game of the season against the Golden State Warriors. October 27 – The Lakers' regular season began with a home game versus the Los Angeles Clippers. The previous year's players received their championship rings and the team raised their 15th championship banner into the Staples Center rafters. January 25 – The previous year's players and staff visited the White House to meet President Barack Obama. February 12–14 – The 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend took place. March 19 – The Lakers clinched a post-season berth for the 29th time in 31 years. They are the first Western Conference team this season to clinch a playoff berth. April 5 – The Lakers clinched their third consecutive and 21st overall Pacific Division title Saturday night with the Phoenix Suns' loss at the Milwaukee Bucks. April 9 – The Lakers clinched the top seed
2009–10 Los Angeles Lakers season
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The 2009–10 Boston Celtics season was the 64th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics finished with a record of 50–32, a 12 win drop off from the previous season. They finished 1st in the Atlantic Division and 4th in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in five games in the First Round, then defeated the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (in a rematch of the 2008 Conference semifinals) again in six games in the Semifinals, and finally, defeated the second-seeded Orlando Magic (the runner-up of last year's Finals as well as the team that defeated the Celtics in last season's Conference semifinals in seven games) in six games in the conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the twenty-first time in franchise history. The Celtics made it back to the NBA Finals after a one-year hiatus and played against the defending NBA champion and their rival, the Los Angeles Lakers for the 12th time. In a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics defeated the Lakers in six games to capture their seventeenth championship, the Celtics were defeated this time by the Lakers in seven games. The Celtics would not reach the Finals again until 2022 where they faced Golden State Warriors in a rematch of the 1964 NBA Finals and lost in six games. Key dates June 25 – The 2009 NBA draft took place in New York City. July 8 – The free agency period started. October 27 – The regular season started with a 95–89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. March 24 – The Celtics clinched a spot in the Playoffs with a 113–99 win over the Denver Nuggets. March 26 – The Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 94–86 win over the Sacramento Kings. April 17 – The Celtics won Game 1 in their first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat (85–76). April 27 – The Celtics won their series against the Miami Heat 4–1 and advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals after a 96–86 win in Game 5. May 13 – The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals after they won their series 4–2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers following a 94–85 win in Game 6. May 28 – The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals after they defeated the Orlando Magic 96–84 in Game 6 to win the series 4–2. June 17 – The Celtics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 83–79 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and failed to capture their 18th NBA Championship. Summary NBA Draft 2009 Free agency Draft picks Roster Pre-season |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 1 || October 7 || @ Houston Rockets || 90–96 || || || || 6,300(Hidalgo, Texas) || 0–1 recap |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 || October 9 || New York Knicks || 82–96 || || || || 18,624 || 1–1 recap |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 || October 11 || Brooklyn Nets || 93–100 || ||
2009–10 Boston Celtics season
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The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals. It also marked the departure of Michael Jordan and the end of the dynasty for the Chicago Bulls. This was the last time that both NBA and NHL regular seasons ended on the same day. Notable occurrences The 1998 NBA All-Star Game was played at Madison Square Garden. However, the Slam Dunk Contest was not held, due to the risk of player injuries, lack of new dunking tricks and lack of big-name players in recent competitions. Instead, a 2Ball competition was held. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant became the youngest All-Star starter at age 19. The East beat the West, 135–114 for the third consecutive year, as Michael Jordan won his third All-Star MVP. The Washington Bullets were renamed the "Wizards". They began the season at US Airways Arena, then in December, they played their first game at the MCI Center (later Verizon Center, now Capital One Arena) during this season. Due to the demolition of The Omni and the construction of the new Philips Arena, the Atlanta Hawks split home games between Georgia Tech's Alexander Coliseum (Their original home where they played for four seasons when they moved to Atlanta in 1968.) and the Georgia Dome. Golden State Warriors swingman Latrell Sprewell made headlines by choking Warriors head coach P. J. Carlesimo during practice on December 1, 1997. Sprewell was ultimately suspended for 68 games, at the time the longest in NBA history. Sprewell would be traded to the New York Knicks in the off-season that followed. Michael Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in points scored in the NBA Playoffs. The record stood for nearly 20 years until it was broken by LeBron James in 2017. The Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls shared the league's best record at 62–20, and met each other in the NBA Finals. The Jazz had home-court advantage by virtue of the head-to-head match-up (the Jazz won the season series 2–0). Two new records were set in Game 3 of the NBA Finals: biggest margin of victory (42 points) and fewest points scored in an NBA Finals game (54) in the Bulls' rout of the Jazz. The San Antonio Spurs set a league record for the biggest single-season turnaround (36 wins), breaking their own record set in the 1989–90 NBA season; it was later broken by the 2007–08 Boston Celtics. Following head coach Phil Jackson's decision to not return to the Bulls, Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from the NBA during the following offseason. This was Jordan's final season with the Chicago Bulls. Scottie Pippen was traded for Roy Rogers (who was released in February 1999) and a conditional second-round draft pick from the Houston Rockets. Dennis Rodman was not re-signed either, leading to
1997–98 NBA season
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The 1976 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1975–76 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The series was highlighted by Game 5, a 3-OT victory by Boston. The Celtics won their 13th NBA title, second in the Dave Cowens era. Jo Jo White was named NBA Finals MVP. This is the last postseason that had a 10 team format before the 1977 playoffs expanded to 12 teams. The Suns earned their first two playoff series victories in franchise history to advance to the NBA Finals; they won their second Western Conference title in 1993, and their third title in 2021. The sixth-year Cleveland Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance and won their first playoff series. They wouldn't win another playoff series until 1992. This was the final playoff appearance for the Buffalo Braves franchise in Buffalo until 1992, when they returned as the Los Angeles Clippers. This would prove the last Conference Finals appearance for the Golden State Warriors until 2015 under the leadership of Steph Curry. The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs for the first time since 1971, starting a 12-season run that included four NBA Finals appearances (1977, 1980, 1982, and 1983 (winning in the latter year)). The Sixers did not miss the playoffs again until 1988. Despite winning their division with a losing record of 38–44, the Milwaukee Bucks were forced to play in the best of three first round against the Detroit Pistons. This is also noted to be the most recent NBA Playoffs that did not include a sweep and the last time a team from Texas did not appear in the playoffs (until 2023). Bracket First round Eastern Conference first round (4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Buffalo Braves This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Western Conference first round (4) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Detroit Pistons This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Conference semifinals Eastern Conference semifinals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Buffalo Braves This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Washington Bullets Bingo Smith hits game winning jumper to tie series. Jim Cleamons hits game-winning tip-in. Dick Snyder hits the series-winning shot with 4 seconds left. This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Western Conference semifinals (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Detroit Pistons This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the only meeting when both teams were based in Philadelphia and Fort Wayne respectively. (2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Phoenix Suns This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Conference finals Eastern Conference finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Western Conference finals (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Phoenix Suns This
1976 NBA playoffs
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The 1978 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1977–78 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The series featured the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics against the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets. The Bullets defeated the SuperSonics in seven games to win their first NBA championship. Bullets power forward/center Wes Unseld was named MVP of the series. Before the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 7 win at Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals, this was the last time a road team had won Game 7 in the NBA Finals. The 1978 World Championship Series was the first NBA Finals series since the 1958 World Championship Series in which both teams had under 50 wins, and is the only NBA Finals to feature two teams with under 50 wins in an 82-game season. Background Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics had a disappointing start to the season, going 5–17 to begin with. Bob Hopkins, who replaced former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell as coach, was fired and Lenny Wilkens returned for a second tour of duty. The Sonics were led by rookie forward Jack Sikma, center Marvin Webster, forwards, Paul Silas and John Johnson, and guards Dennis Johnson and Gus Williams and Fred Brown. With Wilkens' experience being a key factor, the Sonics turned their season around, finishing with 47 wins and the fourth seed in the West. In the playoffs, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-game miniseries, then upset the top-seeded and defending champion Portland Trail Blazers (who lost center Bill Walton in the second game of the series) in six games, before a six-game win over the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals sent them to their first of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. Washington Bullets The Washington Bullets franchise made the Finals twice before in the 1970s, but were swept on both occasions, first by the Milwaukee Bucks in when they were still in Baltimore, and then by the Cinderella Golden State Warriors in . The Bullets kept some of the personnel from that 1975 team, including All-Stars Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes, but Dick Motta was now in his second year of coaching duty. The Bullets struggled with injuries during the season, but managed to finish with 44 wins, good for the third seed in the East. In the playoffs, the Bullets disposed the Atlanta Hawks in a two-game first round series, then ousted the San Antonio Spurs in six games, before making the finals again with a six-game win over the defending Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers. From a KENS-TV Spurs broadcast in the San Antonio series after Washington took a 3–1 lead, Motta adopted the expression "The 'opera' isn't over 'til the fat lady sings" to warn Bullets fans against braggadocio. Motta also used an upbeat ostinato, "Wait for the fat lady!", to encourage the fans. Road to the Finals Regular season series Washington won the regular season series 3–1. Series summary Bullets win series 4–3
1978 NBA Finals
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The 2013–14 Miami Heat season was the 26th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They entered the season as three-time defending Eastern Conference champions and as two-time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals in five games and the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals in seven games. In defeating the Spurs in 2013, the Heat handed the Spurs their first-ever series loss in the NBA Finals. The 2013–2014 season was the Heat's fourth and final season playing with the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and ended with a 54–28 record, despite a 43–14 record early in March. It was the lowest record (.659) in the Big Three era (with the exception of the 2011–12 NBA season, which was a shortened season due to a lockout). It was also their sixth season under head coach Erik Spoelstra and Ray Allen's last season in the NBA after 18 years in the league. Although he was a free agent during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, and despite rumors of a possible return to the league to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, or Boston Celtics, Allen officially announced his retirement on November 1, 2016, and was one of two remaining active players from the 1996 draft, the other being Kobe Bryant, whom announced his retirement the season prior. The Heat swept the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round and defeated the Brooklyn Nets in five games in the conference semifinals. In a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference finals, the Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games (ending the Pacers' season for the third year in a row) to become the first team to win four consecutive Eastern Conference championships since the Boston Celtics did so in the 1984–1987 seasons. Miami's quest for a three-peat ended when the San Antonio Spurs, whom they met in a rematch of the 2013 NBA Finals, won the NBA Finals by a 4–1 margin. Following the season, James left the Heat in free agency to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he previously played for from 2003 to 2010. This would also be the last time the Heat would appear in the Finals until 2020, wherein they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers (led by former Heat player James) 4 games to 2. Key dates June 27: The 2013 NBA draft took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. July 1: 2013 NBA free agency began. March 3: LeBron James had a career-high 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats. His 61 points were also a franchise-high, breaking Glen Rice's record, who scored 56 points against the Orlando Magic in 1995. April 28: The Heat completed a sweep over the Charlotte Bobcats in the Eastern Conference first round, advancing to the conference semi-finals. May 14: The Heat avenged their regular-season sweep loss over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, by
2013–14 Miami Heat season
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The 1973 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1972–73 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. The Knicks won their second (and most recent) NBA title. Willis Reed became the first player to be named NBA Finals MVP twice. The playoff format was modified, as only the divisional champions qualified automatically; two wild-cards were also added from each conference. Once qualification was determined, the four qualifiers were seeded 1–4 based on record; divisional position no longer mattered. The #1 seed then played #4, and #2 played #3. Because of this new format, New York, the Atlantic Division runner-up, had home-court advantage versus the Baltimore Bullets, the Central Division champion, since the Knicks had the better regular-season record. The Bullets had home-court advantage in the 1972 playoffs versus the Knicks and in the 1971 playoffs versus Philadelphia, even though their record was worse than New York's and Philadelphia's were those seasons, because they had won their division, while the Knicks and Sixers were runners-up. This was the second straight time (and third in the last 4 years) that the Lakers and Knicks met in the Finals; the Lakers–Knicks rivalry ended with two titles won by the Knicks and one by the Lakers. This was the Lakers' last appearance in the Finals until 1980; It was New York's last appearance until 1994. Bracket Conference semifinals Eastern Conference semifinals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first five meetings. (2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Baltimore Bullets Last Playoff Game played at The Baltimore Civic Center. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning three of the previous four meetings. Western Conference semifinals (1) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (4) Golden State Warriors This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first two meetings. (2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Chicago Bulls This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings. Conference finals Eastern Conference finals (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) New York Knicks The Knicks became the 1st NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1. This is also the first time the Celtics have lost a Game 7. This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with both teams splitting the first eight meetings. Western Conference finals (2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (4) Golden State Warriors This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning two of the first three meetings. NBA Finals: (W2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E2) New York Knicks Wilt Chamberlain's final NBA game. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first four meetings. See
1973 NBA playoffs
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The 1996 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995–96 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 2. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for a then record fourth time. Overview The Chicago Bulls entered the NBA playoffs with a record of 72–10 (the best regular season record until the 2016 Golden State Warriors went 73–9), eclipsing the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers record of 69–13, helped by Michael Jordan’s first full season back from his mid-1990’s retirement and the addition of another future Hall of Famer to the Bulls, Dennis Rodman. The SuperSonics were only the tenth team in NBA history to win 64 games during the regular season, but their feat went largely unnoticed due to Chicago's record 72 wins. This was the Sacramento Kings' first playoff appearance since 1986, but would be Mitch Richmond's only one as a King (he previously appeared twice in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriors in 1989 and 1991). The Kings did not make it back until 1999, which began their eight-year string of playoff appearances. Richmond would be traded to the Wizards in 1998 and would later win his first and only championship with the Lakers in 2002 (he would retire shortly thereafter). Game 4 of the Lakers-Rockets series was Magic Johnson’s final NBA game. He would retire for good after a brief in-season comeback following the loss. As for the two-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, their quest for a 3-peat was thwarted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who swept the Rockets 4–0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The SuperSonics were also the last team to defeat the Rockets in the playoffs before their two–year title run, in the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4–3). Also noted during their two-year title run, the Rockets never faced the SuperSonics in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by both the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. The 1996 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic were redemption for Michael Jordan after his first return to the playoffs in 1995 and the Bulls' disappointing second-round loss to the 1995 Orlando Magic, a team that would be swept in last year’s finals. With Jordan leading the way, the Bulls swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic, winning all four games by an average of 17 points. As for the Magic, it ended a three-year run of dominance for the team, as Shaquille O'Neal went on to sign with the Lakers the following season. The Magic did not have another 50-win season, division title and first round playoff series victory until 2008, followed the season afterward by an Eastern Conference championship and the franchise's second NBA Finals appearance in 2009 to which they lost to the Lakers. With their Western Conference Finals victory over the Utah Jazz, the Seattle SuperSonics made the NBA Finals for the first
1996 NBA playoffs
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The 1997–98 NBA season was the Bulls' 32nd season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the two-time defending NBA champions, and in the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like that year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win their sixth championship in eight years and complete the franchise's second "3-peat". During the off-season, the Bulls acquired Scott Burrell from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Joe Kleine. However, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen would miss the first half of the season due to an injured toe on his left foot sustained from the 1997 NBA Playoffs. Without Pippen, the Bulls started with a slow 9–7 record in November, but then would go on a 15–4 record until he returned in January. However, three-point specialist Steve Kerr went down with a fractured collarbone in January, and played just 50 games. Despite the injuries, the Bulls held a 34–15 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Jason Caffey to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for David Vaughn. Vaughn would only play just three games with the Bulls before being waived on March 2. Also in early March, the team re-signed former Bulls reserve forward Dickey Simpkins, who was previously released by the Warriors, and played in the final 21 games of the regular season. Despite the slow start, with the help of Scottie's return which was limited to just 44 games, the Bulls would post a 13-game winning streak between March and April, and still finish first place in the Central Division and Eastern Conference with a 62–20 record. The Bulls had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA. In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets, 3–0 in the Eastern Conference First Round, defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 4–1 in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, despite losing Game 2 at the United Center, 78–76, and then defeated the Indiana Pacers, 4–3 in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to advance to the NBA Finals. In the Finals, they met the Utah Jazz in a rematch from the prior year's NBA Finals and just like last year, they would go on to defeat the Jazz in six games to win the championship. The championship was their sixth in eight years and completed the franchise's second "3-peat". The season also saw Michael Jordan earn his fifth and final NBA Most Valuable Player Award, while being selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, where he also won his third and final All-Star Game MVP Award. He once again led the league in scoring averaging 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while being named to the All-NBA First Team, and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and also finished in fourth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. In addition, Pippen averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game,
1997–98 Chicago Bulls season
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The 2009–10 Orlando Magic season was the 21st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Magic were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The season was significant as it signaled the conclusion of the Magic's tenure at the Amway Arena as their designated home venuea. The Magic would replicate their previous season's performance and boasted the NBA's fourth highest offensive rating among all teams. During the 2009 off-season, the Magic relinquished Hedo Türkoğlu and traded away Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee to acquire 8-time NBA All-Star and 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson from the New Jersey Nets. The inclusion of Carter, in conjunction with the emergence of rising star Dwight Howard not only provided the Magic with a seasoned NBA superstar to complement Howard's abilities and augment team synergy, but the concomitant indispensability of Carter's experienced skillset also helped grace the team with a veteran presence. By enlisting Carter's services in assisting Howard's performance with a skilled perimeter scorer who was capable of creating his own shot, Carter's assistive reinforcements compensated for a deficiency that had been present within the Magic's overall gameplay and team dynamics when they were defeated in the 2009 NBA Finals at the hands of the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. During the playoffs, the Magic swept the Charlotte Bobcats in four games in the First Round and swept the Atlanta Hawks in four games in the semi-finals. In the conference finals, it was anticipated for the Magic to prevail as they faced the team they had previously defeated in last season's Conference semifinals after a grueling seven-game series, before losing to the Boston Celtics in six games. The Celtics would go on to lose to the Lakers in the Finals in seven games in a rematch from 2008 in which the Celtics won in six games. As of 2023, this is the last season the Magic won a playoff series. Key dates June 25 – The 2009 NBA draft took place in New York City. July 8 – The free agency period started. October 28 – The Magic began the season with a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. November 16 – Rashard Lewis made his season debut after serving a 10-game suspension for testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance. November 17 – It was announced that Jameer Nelson needed surgery after injuring his knee in the previous night's game. December 21 – Nelson returned from his injury. January 21 – Dwight Howard was named the starting center for the Eastern Conference in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. January 31 – Stan Van Gundy was named the coach of the East's all-stars in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. March 3 – The Magic clinched their third consecutive winning season with a win over the Golden State Warriors. March 16 – By virtue of the Charlotte Bobcats losing that night, the Magic clinched a playoff
2009–10 Orlando Magic season
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The 2001–02 NBA season was the 56th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their third straight championship, beating the New Jersey Nets 4–0 in the 2002 NBA Finals. Notable occurrences Kwame Brown became the first high school player to be drafted first overall when the Washington Wizards drafted him in the 2001 NBA draft. The Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver, British Columbia to Memphis, Tennessee. They played their first three seasons at The Pyramid in Memphis. The 2002 NBA All-Star Game was held at First Union Center in Philadelphia. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers took MVP honors amidst boos from the Philadelphia fans following a 135–120 victory by the West. Philadelphia was originally slated to host the 1999 All-Star Game, but was awarded the 2002 game instead due to the 1999 lockout. Prior to the start of the season, NBA and Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, then part-owner of the Washington Wizards, announced his second comeback to the NBA, this time with the Wizards. The announcement was delayed due to the September 11 attacks. The Dallas Mavericks played their first game at the American Airlines Center, not to be confused with the American Airlines Arena (now Kaseya Center) in Miami, Florida. This was the last season that both NBC and TBS televised NBA games. NBA teams wore patches on their jerseys with the American flag and a red-white-and-blue ribbon, in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks. The Raptors wore the American and Canadian flags on their jerseys. The only Canadian team left in the NBA, the Toronto Raptors, after losing seventeen of eighteen to drop to 30–38, won twelve of their last fourteen to finish at 42–40 and go to the NBA playoffs as the seventh seed in the East. The New Jersey Nets, who had never won fifty games in a season and had only been to the second round of the playoffs once, won 52 games to reach the Finals. 2001–02 is one of the most memorable seasons in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks. The team got off to a division-leading 26–13 start, and were 10 games over .500 as late as March 6. However, the Bucks lost 16 of their last 22 games and missed the playoffs, one of the biggest late-season collapses for a team that was contending for a division title in March. For the first time since 1985–86, no team won fewer than twenty games. The Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors shared the league's worst record of 21–61. This had however previously occurred during every season between 1973–74 and 1978–79 and again from 1983–84 to 1985–86. Former All-Star Jayson Williams was charged with the murder of his limousine driver on February 14. He was immediately fired from his spot on NBC's Verizon Wireless at the Half shortly after appearing on TV during the All-Star Game the previous week. Marv Albert and Mike Fratello were involved in a limousine crash prior
2001–02 NBA season
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As the national broadcaster of the NBA, CBS aired NBA games from the 1973–74 until the 1989–90 season, during which the early 1980s is notoriously known as the tape delay playoff era. NBC then succeeded the broadcast rights from 1990 to 2002. During NBC's partnership with the NBA in the 1990s, the league rose to unprecedented popularity, with ratings surpassing the days of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the mid-1980s. Upon expiration of the contract in 2002, the league signed an agreement with ABC, which began airing games in the 2002-03 season. NBC had made a four-year $1.3 billion ($330 million/year) bid in the spring of 2002 to renew its NBA rights, but the league instead went to ESPN and ABC with a six-year deal worth $2.4 billion ($400 million/year), a total of $4.6 billion ($766 million/year) when adding the cable deal with Turner Sports. Year-by-year summary 1990 On November 9, 1989, the NBA and NBC reached an agreement on a four-year, US$600 million contract (beginning in the 1990–1991 season). The NBA's popularity was skyrocketing by the late '80s and Commissioner David Stern wanted more exposure. This meant that he wanted more than 15 games a year shown on network television. However, CBS didn't have the room to broadcast double and triple headers every Sunday like NBC could because of their NFL and college basketball coverage. Plus around this time, CBS had signed deals with Major League Baseball and the Winter Olympics, making it even more difficult to accommodate the NBA's request for more over the air telecasts. All in all, CBS was by 1990 pretty much destined to cut ties with the NBA. From 1986 to its final year in 1990, CBS paid about US$47 million per year for the NBA broadcast contract. The final NBA game that CBS televised to date occurred on June 14, 1990. It was Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons won the game 92–90 to clinch their second consecutive World Championship. As the soundtrack for their goodbye montage, CBS used "The Last Waltz" by The Band and Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" from the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, ending CBS Sports' relationship with the NBA after 17 years. While the network broadcast all five NBA Finals involving Larry Bird, all four NBA Finals involving Julius Erving, nine of the ten NBA Finals involving Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and eight of the nine NBA Finals involving Magic Johnson (with the exception of 1991, which was Magic Johnson's last and the first to be broadcast by NBC), it never broadcast a Final involving Michael Jordan. Prior to the closing montage, the network's final NBA game broadcast on June 14, 1990, ended with this sign-off by Dick Stockton: Once Larry Bird and Magic Johnson retired, the NBA's ratings sank, at least for one year. The 1990 NBA Finals, (which was played before either Bird or Johnson retired) which registered a 12.3 rating (and was the last
NBA on television in the 1990s
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The 2005 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP. Overview The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards ended long playoff droughts in 2005, meeting each other in the first round. For the Washington Wizards, it was their first playoff appearance since 1997 (and even more ironic their opponents for that postseason appearance were the Bulls who swept them on their way to their fifth NBA title), and only their second since 1988. For the Chicago Bulls, it was their first post-Michael Jordan playoff appearance, as their last playoff game was Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. They consistently placed at or near the bottom of the Central Division in between, but their 47–35 season in 2005 was a 24–game improvement from 2004. The Phoenix Suns returned to the NBA playoffs after a one season absence. The Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies also entered their second consecutive postseason. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it marked the first time in 11 seasons (dating back to 1994) and the fifth time in NBA history that they missed the playoffs. This is also the last time until 2018 that the playoffs were played entirely outside of Los Angeles. This was the last time that the Seattle SuperSonics would be in the playoffs before they relocated to Oklahoma to become the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Minnesota Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996. For the third straight year (fifth overall) the Pacers met the Celtics in the first round. Boston won in 2003 4–2, while Indiana swept Boston in 2004. This time, Indiana won 4–3. It would be Boston's last playoff appearance until 2008. With their first round series win over the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards their first since 1982. They also won a best of seven series for the first time since 1979. With their first round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns won their first playoff series since 2000. With their conference semifinals sweep of the Washington Wizards, the Miami Heat became the first team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds after the first round was made into a best–of–7 in the 2003 playoffs. The 2009 Cavaliers, 2010 Magic, 2012 Spurs, 2016 Cavaliers, 2017 Cavaliers and the 2017 Warriors followed suit. No team (until 2016) has made the finals after going 8–0 in the first two rounds, let alone win 12 straight games going to the NBA Finals (until the 2017 Warriors), though the Spurs came close in 2012 when they won their first 10 playoff games, then lost their next four to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds and make the NBA Finals. With their conference semifinals victory over the
2005 NBA playoffs
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The 1992–93 NBA season was the Bulls' 27th season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the back-to-back defending NBA champions, having defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals in six games, winning their second NBA championship. In the off-season, the team acquired Rodney McCray from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agent Trent Tucker. At midseason, the team signed Darrell Walker, who was previously released by the Detroit Pistons. After two straight championships, the Bulls would make changes to their lineup, replacing John Paxson at point guard with B. J. Armstrong after Paxson went down with a knee injury, and only played 59 games. The team won nine of their first eleven games, and posted a 7-game winning streak between December and January, holding a 35–17 record at the All-Star break. The Bulls posted another 7-game winning streak between February and March, and would yet again have another successful season finishing in first place in the Central Division, and second overall in the Eastern Conference with a 57–25 record. They also advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season, becoming the first team since the 1987–88 Boston Celtics to do so. Michael Jordan once again led the league in scoring averaging 32.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Scottie Pippen averaged 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Both players were selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game. In addition, Horace Grant averaged 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Armstrong provided the team with 12.3 points per game. Jordan also finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, and tied in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Bulls swept the Atlanta Hawks in three straight games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight games. Then after losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals to the top-seeded New York Knicks, the Bulls would win the next four games of the series. Then they would then go on to win their third consecutive NBA championship, defeating regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 1993 NBA Finals. This was the last title the Bulls won while playing at Chicago Stadium. Chicago's off-season was also marked by Jordan's sudden retirement. Also following the season, McCray, Tucker, and Walker were all released to free agency. For the season, the Bulls slightly changed their uniforms, which remained in used until 2004, when they added their secondary logo on the back of their jerseys. Offseason NBA draft Roster Regular season Season standings Record vs. opponents Game log Regular season |-
1992–93 Chicago Bulls season
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The 1951 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1951 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1950–51 season. The Western Division champion Rochester Royals faced the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series with Rochester having home-court advantage. Rochester won the first three games, two at home, but New York won the next three, two at home. It was the first BAA or NBA Finals (spanning 1947 to 1951) that extended to a seventh-game conclusion, a 4-point win by Rochester at home on Saturday, April 21. The seven games were played in fifteen days, beginning Saturday and Sunday, April 7 and 8, in Rochester and incorporating one game in Rochester on each following weekend. Three Wednesday or Friday games were played in New York City. The entire postseason tournament spanned 33 days in which both Rochester and New York played 14 games. The Royals appeared in their first NBA finals by defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons in the semifinals and the two-time defending champion Minneapolis Lakers in the division finals while the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in the semifinals and the Syracuse Nationals in the division finals. This was the first finals appearance for both teams, and the first Finals with two teams that had not made a finals appearance since the 1947 BAA Finals. Series summary Royals win series 4–3 The Rochester / Cincinnati Royals / Kansas City / Sacramento Kings won their first ever NBA Championship. Aftermath This was the first and to date last title for the Rochester Royals, who would move to Cincinnati for the 1957–58 NBA season. The Royals would spend 15 years mired in mediocrity before moving to Kansas City in 1972, changing their name in the process to the Kings. One notable highlight was their appearance in the 1981 NBA Playoffs, in which their 40-42 team reached the Conference Finals before losing to the Houston Rockets who also had a 40–42 record. The Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985. The team reached the conference finals in the 2002 NBA Playoffs, their closest to reaching the NBA finals in recent years. The Royals/Kings have the longest NBA title drought, and also the longest Finals appearance drought in NBA history and actively in all of the American major four pro sports leagues. This would be the Knicks first of three consecutive appearances in the Finals, but they would lose all three times. They would not return to the Finals until 1970, which they won. Notes References External links 1951 Finals at NBA.com 1951 NBA Playoffs at Basketball-Reference.com NBA Finals Finals Rochester Royals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Basketball competitions in New York City Sports competitions in Rochester, New York NBA Finals 1950s in Manhattan Rose Hill, Manhattan
1951 NBA Finals
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The 2014 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2013–14 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs, played from June 5 to 15, 2014. It was contested between two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat and the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. In a rematch, the Spurs defeated the Heat 4–1 for their 5th title overall. Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), receiving 10 out of 11 votes. The series served as a rematch from the previous NBA season, the 12th in Finals history, but only the fifth since the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. This was the first NBA Finals since 1984 to use the 2–2–1–1–1 format after the Board of Governors agreed to change the format from 2–3–2, which was used from 1985 to 2013. In , the Spurs were joined by the Denver Nuggets as the only former ABA franchises to win an NBA championship. The 2023 Finals series also involved the Heat on the losing side in five games. Background Miami Heat Led by their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, the Miami Heat made their fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals, following two back-to-back wins in the 2012 and 2013 playoffs. They were the first team since the 1987 Boston Celtics to make it to four straight NBA Finals, and only the fourth team in NBA history to achieve that goal, besides the 1966 Boston Celtics (as a matter of fact, ten straight appearances), 1985 Los Angeles Lakers and the 1986-87 Boston Celtics. From 2015 to 2018 the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James also achieved the same feat. They were seeking to become the first NBA team to three-peat since the 2002 Los Angeles Lakers. Heading into the postseason, the Heat had an 11–14 record in the last 25 games. In the first round, they eliminated the Charlotte Bobcats and won 4–0. In the Conference Semifinals, they eliminated the Brooklyn Nets and won 4–1, despite being swept by Brooklyn in the regular season. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they again played the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. Miami won the series 4–2, eliminating the Indiana Pacers from the playoffs for the third straight year. San Antonio Spurs The Spurs had a deep roster, with no player averaging 30 minutes during the regular season. Their offense relied on ball movement, being called "one of the most beautiful-to-watch teams in the NBA" by USA Today. This was the San Antonio Spurs's sixth appearance in the NBA Finals, and they headed to the postseason with the best record in the NBA and a franchise record 19-game winning streak, ending with a 22–4 run in their last 26 games. In the first round, they faced their Texas rivals, the Dallas Mavericks, who surprised the Spurs by taking the series to seven games despite the Spurs sweeping the Mavericks in the regular season for 2
2014 NBA Finals
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The 1984 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1983–84 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic Johnson–Larry Bird pair entering the league. After alternating wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111–102. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 2–2–1–1–1 format until 2014. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 2–3–2 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. Although the 2–2–1–1–1 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 2–3–2 format would be used until 2013. Background The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75–64. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979–80 season with high expectations. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. The expected Celtics–Lakers finals, however, never happened. The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Celtics in the conference finals before losing to the Lakers in the 1980 NBA Finals, with Johnson earning Finals MVP honors for his Game 6 performance. Since then Bird won a championship in 1981, then Magic led the Lakers to the finals in 1982 and 1983, winning in the former. Boston Celtics In the 1983–84 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. The Celtics were led by Bird, who won his first MVP award, and was complemented by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, first-time all-star and Sixth Man Award winner Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two
1984 NBA Finals
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The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989–90 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The series pitted the defending NBA and Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons against the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers. This was the first NBA Finals since 1979 that did not feature either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics, and one of two NBA championships of the 1990s (the other was won by the San Antonio Spurs in 1999) won by a team other than the Chicago Bulls (6 wins) or the Houston Rockets (2 wins). The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win back-to-back championships, after the Lakers (first accomplished in 1949, 1950) and Celtics (first accomplished in 1959, 1960). Background Portland Trail Blazers The Trail Blazers last made the NBA Finals when they won the NBA championship in 1977. In between finals appearances, the Blazers made the playoffs every year except 1982, but most of the time were eliminated in the first or second round. Along the way, Portland built a core that would turn the team into title contenders, adding Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey through the draft while signing or trading for players such as Buck Williams and Kevin Duckworth. The addition of Williams cost Portland once-promising center Sam Bowie, whose career had been curtailed by a series of leg injuries after being drafted second overall in the 1984 NBA draft. Early in the 1988–89 season, the Blazers fired head coach Mike Schuler and replaced him with assistant Rick Adelman, who would go on to win over 1,000 regular season games in 23 NBA seasons. Entering the 1989–90 season with modest expectations, the Trail Blazers surprised the NBA by posting a 59–23 record, good enough for the third seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they swept the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games during the second round, and eliminated the Phoenix Suns in six games in the conference finals. Detroit Pistons The Pistons won their first NBA championship a year earlier. However, they entered the 1989–90 season without rugged forward Rick Mahorn, who had been selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft and was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the loss of Mahorn, the Pistons still managed to post a 59–23 record to lead the Eastern Conference. With Mahorn gone, Defensive Player of the Year winner Dennis Rodman picked up the slack, keeping the Pistons in true "Bad Boys" form all season. On their way to the Finals, Detroit swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round, defeated the New York Knicks in five games during the second round, and overcame their archrival Chicago Bulls in seven games in the conference finals. Road to the Finals Regular season series Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team: Team rosters Detroit Pistons Portland Trail Blazers Series
1990 NBA Finals
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The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 7 and May 7, 1969, before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, fourteen NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Milwaukee Bucks won the coin flip in the commissioner's New York office on March 19 and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Phoenix Suns went second. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as settlement of the Rudy LaRusso trade to the San Francisco Warriors. The draft consisted of twenty rounds and selected 218 players. Draftee career notes Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) from UCLA was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to both All-NBA Second Team and All-Star Game in his first season. The following season, the Bucks acquired 31-year old point guard Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals. They led the Bucks to a league-best 66 wins in the regular season. The Bucks then beat the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals to win their first NBA championship, in only their third season. In that season, Alcindor also won the Most Valuable Player Award and Finals Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to win five more NBA championships in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed up with Magic Johnson, the first pick in 1979. He also won another Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 1985. He won a total of six Most Valuable Player Award, the most in the history of the NBA. He also held the record for the most All-Star Game selections with 19 and the most All-NBA Team selections with 15. Furthermore, he was selected to eleven All-Defensive Teams, the second most selections. He retired as all–time league scoring leader with 38,387 points and the all–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,189 blocks. For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. Jo Jo White, the ninth pick, won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player in the latter. He was selected to two All-NBA Teams and seven All-Star Games. 45th pick Bob Dandridge won two NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971
1969 NBA draft
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The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences The Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks began play as the league expanded to 14 teams. The Hawks relocated from St. Louis to Atlanta. The 1969 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland, with the East beating the West 123–112. Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals won the game's MVP award. The inaugural NBA Finals MVP Award was won by Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers, despite his team losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics. The NBA All-Defensive Team was named for the first time and became part of the NBA's regular season awards. Wilt Chamberlain won his eighth of eleven eventual rebounding titles with 21.14 per game. This remains an unbroken NBA record; Dennis Rodman currently ranks second with seven career rebounding titles. It was also, incidentally, the last season to date in which any NBA player averaged more than twenty rebounds per game. Season recap The Philadelphia 76ers, champions two seasons ago and the favorites last year, lost two key leaders before the season. Coach Alex Hannum jumped to the ABA for more money. Wilt Chamberlain, who absorbed criticism after their loss to Boston last year just days after the King murder, demanded a trade out of his hometown. So he made major waves in the league by signing with the Los Angeles Lakers. It put Chamberlain's team in the favorite role for the third straight year. Four NBA teams won 50 or more games this year. While Russell and Chamberlain remained the subject of much discussion, the team of the year was the Baltimore Bullets. Just 36–46 a year ago, the Bullets rallied around 6' 7 250-pound rookie Wes Unseld and won a league-high 57 of 82 NBA games. Unseld was fifth in the league in rebounds and showed remarkable strength under the boards. A boycotter of the Mexico City Olympics, Unseld found new life and fans in Baltimore. Guard Earl Monroe, himself a major fan draw with his collection of offensive moves, followed up on his Rookie of the Year trophy from a year ago to finish second in the NBA in scoring. Teammate Kevin Loughery added 22.6 games as well. Coach Gene Shue's eight-man rotation sank more field goals than any other team. But Gus Johnson's knee injury was an issue for the coming playoffs. Right behind the Bullets in the NBA's East Division were the resurgent 76ers. Jack Ramsay, a legendary local product, was now the coach. With Wilt gone, Ramsay turned to Billy Cunningham as a team leader. Cunningham was third in the NBA in scoring and tenth in rebounds. An aggressive defender, Cunningham also led the NBA in personal fouls. Guard Hal Greer also picked up some of the slack. The 32-year-old speedster added
1968–69 NBA season
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The 2009 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP. Overview The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs for the first time since 2003 and earned home court advantage in a playoff series for the first time since 2000. The Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. They pushed their first round opponents, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics (respectively) to seven games before losing. The first round series between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. However, the Boston Celtics prevailed in seven games. With their first round win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Houston Rockets won a first round series for the first time since 1997, when they last made the conference finals. They pushed the eventual champion Lakers to seven games before losing. The Rockets would not return to the playoffs until 2013. With their first round win over the Miami Heat, the Atlanta Hawks won a playoff series for the first time since 1999. However, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals. With their first round win over the New Orleans Hornets, the Denver Nuggets won a playoff series for the first time since 1994, when they became the first eighth seed to win a playoff series. As for the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, they failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2000. The Pistons were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Spurs lost to the Dallas Mavericks in a five game upset. The Pistons would not return to the playoffs until 2016, while the Spurs would exact revenge against the Mavericks in next year’s playoffs. By sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers became only the second team in NBA History (after the Miami Heat) to go 8–0 through the first two rounds by sweeping the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks (they would duplicate this feat in 2016, against the same two teams). This was also LeBron James’ last conference finals appearance as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers until 2015. With their conference semifinals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Denver Nuggets made the conference finals for the first time since 1985. However, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, and would not return to the conference finals until 2020. With their Game 7 road win over the Boston Celtics, the Orlando Magic made the Conference Finals for the first time since 1996. It also marked the first time the Boston Celtics lost a playoff series despite leading 3–2. With their conference finals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic made the NBA Finals
2009 NBA playoffs
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The 1998 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1998 playoffs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the 1997–98 NBA season. The two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls played against the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz, with the Jazz holding home-court advantage for the first 2 games in Salt Lake City. In a repeat of the previous year's Finals, the Bulls won the series 4 games to 2 for their third consecutive NBA title and their sixth in eight seasons. Michael Jordan was voted the NBA Finals MVP of the series (he also had won the award the last five times the Bulls won the Finals: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, and 1997). This would be his sixth NBA championship and sixth Finals MVP award in six full basketball seasons. This would be his final season of winning the NBA championship and Finals MVP. The 1998 Finals garnered the highest Nielsen TV ratings in NBA history at 18.7, and even surpassed the Nielsen ratings for the 1998 World Series, marking the first time the NBA had a higher rating in its championship round than of Major League Baseball's championship round. The Bulls headed into the series as the underdogs. Bulls' small forward Scottie Pippen stated, "It's a different feeling. We’ve never been in this situation where we’ve sort of been written off. It’s a great feeling being the underdog because you want to go out now and prove everybody wrong." Background The series marked the first time since 1989 that the same two teams met in the Finals in consecutive years. The Jazz earned the league's best record by virtue of sweeping the two-game regular season series with the Bulls despite both teams finishing at 62 wins. In the playoffs, the Jazz were pushed to the brink by the Houston Rockets before winning Game 5 in Utah, and then overcame Rookie of the Year Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs 4–1. They then swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Bulls swept the New Jersey Nets and then took out the Charlotte Hornets in five, but it took seven games to overcome the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Road to the Finals Regular season series The Utah Jazz won both games in the regular season series: 1998 NBA Finals rosters Chicago Bulls Utah Jazz Series summary Bulls win the series 4–2. Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Crowd: 24,000 at United Center(sellout) Game 5 Game 6 Game summaries Games 1 and 2 Unlike the 1997 Finals, the Jazz and Bulls entered this series as equals. The Jazz had won both regular season meetings with the Bulls, and many analysts predicted a hard-fought seven-game series. The two teams entered the Finals on completely different notes; the Jazz uneventfully swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and had a total of ten days' rest before the Finals began. The Bulls, meanwhile, endured
1998 NBA Finals
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The 1987 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986–87 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers earned their 10th NBA championship, and Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for a then-record third time. This was the last time the Celtics would appear in the NBA Finals until 2008. Boston only advanced as far as the Conference Finals twice in that stretch: losing the following year to the Detroit Pistons in six games and in 2002 to the New Jersey Nets, also in 6 games. The Pistons appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals was the franchise's first (and their first Division/Conference Final appearance since 1962). It would be the first of five straight Conference Finals appearances for Detroit. They would make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 the following season, the first of 3 straight trips to the Finals (winning the last 2). The Warriors & Pacers made their first playoff appearances since 1977 and 1981 respectively. The Pacers also won their first NBA playoff game, in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hawks. Game 5 of the Philadelphia/Milwaukee series would the final game in the amazing career of Julius Erving. By beating Dallas 3–1, the SuperSonics became the first #7 seed to defeat a #2 seed since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984. They reached the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the Lakers. As of , they are the most recent team with a sub-.500 record (39-43) to win a playoff series. The 1989 & 1991 Warriors, 1998 Knicks, 2010 Spurs and 2023 Lakers were the other 7th seeds to beat the 2nd seed. One of the most memorable moments of the playoffs occurred in the final moments of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals when, with Boston down 107–106, Isiah Thomas had his inbounds pass stolen by Larry Bird, who passed to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup. The only dent in the Lakers' run to the Finals came in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Warriors, when Sleepy Floyd scored a playoff record 39 points in the second half, with a record 29 coming in the fourth quarter, to seal a 129–121 win. Both records still stand. This was last time a 7 seed went to the Western Conference Finals until 2023 when the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in 4 games. Bracket First round Eastern Conference first round (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings. (2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (7) Indiana Pacers This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Pacers. (3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Washington Bullets This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Bullets. (4) Milwaukee
1987 NBA playoffs
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The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite result. Notable occurrences The Buffalo Braves moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego, California and became the San Diego Clippers, shifting from the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference to the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Detroit Pistons changed conferences, moving from the Midwest Division of the Western Conference to the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, where they remain today. The Washington Bullets shifted from the Central Division to the Atlantic Division. The franchise also won its last division title until the 2016–17 season. The NBA adopted a three-official system similar to the one used in college basketball (but not used in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament until 1979) on a one-year trial basis. The experiment was scrapped for the 1979–80 season, but returned permanently in 1988–89. The 1979 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, with the West defeating the East 134–129 in overtime. David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets won the game's MVP award. This season saw the rookie debuts of Michael Ray Richardson, Maurice Cheeks, Reggie Theus and Michael Cooper. The Jazz played their final season in New Orleans, Louisiana, before moving to Salt Lake City. It would be 23 years before New Orleans received another NBA franchise. The Los Angeles Lakers played their final season under the ownership of Jack Kent Cooke. For the last time until 2018, both conference finals went to a deciding Game 7. The Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets replayed, on March 23, the last 17 minutes and 50 seconds of a November 8 game that had been protested by the Nets because the referee had allowed three technical fouls (and subsequent free throws) to be called on Nets coach Kevin Loughery and player Bernard King. Before the replay took place, the 76ers and Nets had traded players and Eric Money became the only NBA player to score for both teams in the same game, having 23 points for the Nets in November and 4 for the 76ers in March. The Seattle SuperSonics won their first NBA championship in a revenge-win over the Washington Bullets. No team from the NBA's Northwest Division, to which the Sonics relocated in 2004, had won the NBA championship since until the Denver Nuggets in 2023. This ended what was the longest divisional championship drought in any of the major American sport leagues, at 44 years. The 1979 NBA Finals would be the last until 1990 not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics. Since 1979, the Washington Bullets franchise, who appeared in four NBA finals between 1971 and 1979, have never again made the NBA Finals, or even Conference Finals. The Sonics would challenge
1978–79 NBA season
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The 1988–89 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 41st season in the NBA and 32nd season in the Detroit metropolitan area. The Pistons moved from the Pontiac Silverdome to the brand-new Palace of Auburn Hills before the start of the season. The team won their first eight games of the season, and held a 31–13 record at the All-Star break. However, Adrian Dantley was unhappy with his role on the team, losing playing time to Dennis Rodman at the small forward position. At midseason, the team traded Dantley to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for All-Star forward Mark Aguirre, a childhood friend of Isiah Thomas. Dantley felt that Thomas had a major role in engineering the trade, so that Aguirre could have the opportunity of winning a championship; an accusation that Thomas denied. The Pistons posted a nine-game winning streak in March, won eight consecutive games between March and April, then won their final five games, finishing with a league best record of 63–19. Thomas led the team with 18.2 points, 8.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, while Joe Dumars averaged 17.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, and Vinnie Johnson contributed 13.8 points per game. In addition, Bill Laimbeer provided the team with 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Rodman provided with 9.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game off the bench, and Rick Mahorn averaged 7.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Dumars and Rodman were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Rodman finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and head coach Chuck Daly finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons swept the Boston Celtics in three straight games, then swept the 5th-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in four straight games in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they trailed 2–1 to Michael Jordan and the 6th-seeded Chicago Bulls, but managed to win the series in six games to advance to the NBA Finals, where the Pistons would win their first ever NBA championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games, as Dumars was named Finals MVP. This series was a rematch from last year's NBA Finals, with the Pistons avenging their NBA Finals loss. Following the season, Mahorn was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA Expansion Draft, where he was selected by the newly expansion Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Mahorn never played for the Timberwolves due to a contract dispute, as he was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers soon after. The Pistons and Lakers would face each other again 15 years later in the NBA Finals in 2004, where the Pistons won in five games en route to their third NBA championship, despite being underdogs to the heavily-favored Lakers. Draft picks Roster Regular season On February 15, 1989, the
1988–89 Detroit Pistons season
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The 1968 NBA draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 3, 1968, and May 8 and 10, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The San Diego Rockets won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Baltimore Bullets were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Six teams that had the best records in previous season were not awarded second round draft picks. Two expansion franchises, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the seventh and eighth pick in the first round, along with the last two picks of each subsequent round. The St. Louis Hawks relocated to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks prior to the start of the season. The draft consisted of 21 rounds comprising 214 players selected. Draft selections and draftee career notes Elvin Hayes from the University of Houston was selected first overall by the San Diego Rockets. Wes Unseld from the University of Louisville was selected second by the Baltimore Bullets. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in his first season, becoming only the second player to win both awards in the same season, after Wilt Chamberlain in 1960. Hayes and Unseld have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. Hayes and Unseld both won the NBA championship with the Washington Bullets in 1978. In the Finals, Unseld was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player. Unseld, who spent all of his 13-year playing career with the Bullets, was also selected to one All-NBA Team and five All-Star Games, while Hayes was selected to six All-NBA Teams and twelve All-Star Games. Bob Kauffman, the third pick, is the only other player from this draft who has been selected to an All-Star Game; he was selected to three All-Star Games during his career. Unseld became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Washington Bullets for seven seasons. Three other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 12th pick Don Chaney and 79th pick Rick Adelman. Chaney coached four NBA teams and won the Coach of the Year Award in 1991 with the Houston Rockets. Adelman coached four NBA
1968 NBA draft
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The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991–92 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls took on the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA that season. The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan throughout the season. A month earlier Sports Illustrated had even listed Drexler as Jordan's "No. 1 rival" on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson–Larry Bird type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler, compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype. The Bulls went on to win the series in six games, becoming the fourth NBA team to win back-to-back championships after the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Detroit Pistons. Michael Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring title. Background Chicago Bulls The Bulls won their first NBA championship the previous season and finished the 1991–92 season with a 67–15 record, surpassing last season's record by six games. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with a 30.1 points/6.4 assists/6.1 rebounds season. After sweeping the Miami Heat in the opening round, they played the New York Knicks, who were now coached by Pat Riley and won in seven games. Then they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom they had beaten in two prior postseason meetings, in the conference finals. The Bulls won in six games. Portland Trail Blazers The previous season, Portland was coming off a Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons. The 1990–91 Trail Blazers won a franchise record 63 games and, as the top seed in the Western Conference, appeared destined to meet the Bulls for the championship. However, the Los Angeles Lakers upended the narrative, defeating Portland in six games of the conference final. However, the Lakers would lose to the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. Of note, the upset marked a final hurrah for the "Showtime"-era Lakers, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired two years prior, and Magic Johnson would retire unexpectedly in the first week of the 1991–92 season, after learning he had tested positive for HIV. For the 1991–92 season, the Blazers retained the same core from the previous two seasons; the team won the Pacific Division title with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they avenged the previous year's loss, dispatching a weakened Lakers team, 3–1. Portland followed that up with a five-game defeat of the Phoenix Suns in the second round, before booking another trip to the Finals with a six-game elimination of the Utah Jazz in the conference Finals. Road to the Finals Regular season series The Chicago Bulls won both games in the regular season series: Team rosters Chicago Bulls Portland
1992 NBA Finals
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The 2000–01 NBA season was the 76ers 52nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th season in Philadelphia. All-Star guard Allen Iverson had his best season in 2001; he led the 76ers to win their first ten games, and started for the Eastern Conference at the 2001 NBA All-Star Game in Washington D.C., and won All-Star MVP honors. The Sixers also posted a 56–26 record, which was the best in the Eastern Conference that season, and the team's first 50-win season since 1989–90. It was also the 76ers' best regular season record since 1984–85. Iverson averaged a then-career high of 31.1 points per game, winning his second NBA scoring title in the process. He also won the NBA steals title at 2.5 per game, and contributed 4.6 assists per game. Iverson was selected to the All-NBA First Team, and named NBA Most Valuable Player for his accomplishments, beating Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal by a wide margin. In addition, head coach Larry Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year, All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo, who was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in a midseason trade, won his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, while being named to the All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive First Team, and Aaron McKie won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. McKie averaged 11.6 points, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while Tyrone Hill provided the team with 9.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, Eric Snow contributed 9.8 points, 7.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, but only played just 50 games due to a stress fracture in his right ankle, and George Lynch provided with 8.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. The 76ers had the fifth best team defensive rating in the NBA. However, this season was not without controversy. With the Sixers having a big lead in the Eastern Conference with a 36–14 record at the All-Star break, Theo Ratliff sustained a wrist injury that sidelined him for the remainder of season after 50 games, thus only having Matt Geiger and second-year player Todd MacCulloch at center. Ratliff was also selected to play in the All-Star Game along with Iverson, but did not play because of his injury. The Sixers then traded him along with Toni Kukoč, and Nazr Mohammed to Atlanta for Mutombo. By trading Kukoc (who was not included in the original proposed deal, and who won three championships with Phil Jackson as his coach during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls), the Sixers had only one other player on the roster who had NBA Finals experience, Snow, who played a total of 24 minutes in 10 games in the 1996 NBA Playoffs as a reserve for the Seattle SuperSonics. At one point the team's record was 42–14, but finished 14–12 the rest of the way, including a five-game losing streak in March. In the last game of the season (at home against the Chicago Bulls), Larry Brown rested his starters instead of
2000–01 Philadelphia 76ers season
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The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1984–85 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It featured the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference playoff champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference playoff champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA champions for the first time since the season. The Celtics had home court advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63–19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62–20 record. The Lakers looked to bounce back from the previous year's painful loss to the Celtics in the championship series, and were still seeking to beat Boston for the first time ever in NBA Finals history. Also for the first time since 1955, the Finals implemented a 2–3–2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series would be played in Boston, if required. This change of format came after David Stern had a conversation with Celtics legend Red Auerbach in 1984, who disliked the frequent traveling between games. The 2–3–2 format would be used until the 2013 NBA Finals, after which the 2–2–1–1–1 format returned in 2014. With the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their first NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in nine meetings, four to two games. The Lakers recovered after losing in a rout in game 1, dubbed as the "Memorial Day Massacre". The series was the last time the NBA World Championship Series branding would be in use as the NBA Finals branding would replace it for 1986. The video documentary Return to Glory recaps the 1985 NBA playoffs action. Background Los Angeles Lakers After losing to the Celtics in the previous year's finals, the Lakers entered the 1984–85 NBA season with a mission. Once again using the effective Showtime offense, they ran away with the Western Conference-leading 62 wins. The team as a whole underwent a slight evolution, as James Worthy supplanted Jamaal Wilkes as the starting small forward, while Byron Scott began to earn more minutes as the backup to both Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper. In the playoffs, the Lakers eliminated the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets, going 11–2 in the three playoff rounds. Boston Celtics The Celtics repeated with the NBA's best record by winning 63 games. For the second straight season, Larry Bird won the MVP award, while Kevin McHale won Sixth Man Award for the second year running, despite making the transition from bench cog to starter late in the season with Cedric Maxwell nursing a knee injury. Danny Ainge also emerged as the team's starting shooting guard, after the Celtics traded Gerald Henderson to the Seattle SuperSonics in the offseason. The Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers, finishing with an 11–4 record heading into the finals.
1985 NBA Finals
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The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985–86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time. This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; they met in the 1981 NBA Finals with the same result. It was the third of four straight Eastern Conference championships for Boston, who won 67 games that year, and went 40–1 at home. The Rockets, meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history. Second-year player Michael Jordan put on a record-setting performance in Game 2 of the Bulls' first-round series against the Celtics, scoring 63 points in a 2-OT loss, which surpassed Elgin Baylor's 61-point performance from the 1962 NBA Finals and still stands as the NBA Playoff scoring record. Jordan averaged 44.7 points per game in the series, but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced, more talented Celtics team. The Bulls set a dubious mark by posting the second worst record for a playoff-qualifying team in history, going just 30–52 during the season. Game 2, where the record was set, was ranked by TV Guide as the 26th Most Memorable Moment in Television History, and is credited with boosting the NBA's popularity surge and eventual rise to near the top of the United States television sports market, trailing only football by the mid-90s. The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years that the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it would be their last appearance in the series until 2001. The Celtics avenged their 1983 sweep by sweeping the Bucks in four games. As for the Philadelphia 76ers, this was the last time they would play in a Game 7 until 2001. After their first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons would advance past the first round in each of the next five seasons (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), which include all appearances in the conference finals, three NBA Finals, and two championships. After moving from Kansas City, where the franchise played its previous thirteen seasons, the Sacramento Kings made their first postseason appearance in their first season in its new city. Bracket First round Eastern Conference first round (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan hits the game-tying free throws with no time left in regulation to force the first OT; Danny Ainge hits the game-tying lay-up with 12 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT. Michael Jordan's 63 points scored is an NBA playoff record, this was George Gervin's final NBA game. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting. (2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) New Jersey Nets This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the
1986 NBA playoffs
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The 1989–90 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 42nd season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd season in the city of Detroit. The team played at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Auburn Hills, Michigan. As the defending champions, the Pistons had another successful season winning 13 consecutive games around January and February, holding a 35–14 record at the All-Star break, then posting a 12-game winning streak in March, as they finished first place in the Eastern Conference with a 59–23 record. Isiah Thomas led the team with 18.4 points, 9.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while last year's Finals MVP Joe Dumars averaged 17.8 points and 4.9 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and Dennis Rodman provided the team with 8.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and was named Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, James Edwards provided with 14.5 points per game, while Mark Aguirre contributed 14.1 points per game, and Bill Laimbeer averaged 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Vinnie Johnson contributed 9.8 points per game, and John Salley led the team with 1.9 blocks per game. Thomas, Dumars and Rodman were all selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, with head coach Chuck Daly coaching the Eastern Conference. Dumars and Rodman were both named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Pistons swept the Indiana Pacers in three straight games, then defeated the 5th-seeded New York Knicks four games to one in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons defeated the Chicago Bulls in seven games to advance to the NBA Finals for the third straight year. In the Finals, the Pistons faced the Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by Clyde Drexler. The Pistons won Game 1 at home, 105–99, but lost Game 2 in overtime, 106–105 as the Blazers tied the series at one game a piece, the Pistons defeated the Blazers in five hard-fought games to win their second consecutive NBA championship. Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP. The Pistons would not reach the NBA Finals again until 2004, in which they won the Finals in five games against their heavily favored rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers to win their third NBA championship. Draft picks Roster Regular season Season standings Record vs. opponents Game log Playoffs |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | April 26 | Indiana | W 104–92 | James Edwards (21) | Bill Laimbeer (14) | Thomas, Dumars (5) | The Palace of Auburn Hills21,454 | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 28 | Indiana | W 100–87 | Bill Laimbeer (22) | Bill Laimbeer (11) | Isiah Thomas (12) | The Palace of Auburn Hills21,454 | 2–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 1 | @ Indiana | W 108–96 | Isiah Thomas (23) | Bill Laimbeer (19) | Isiah Thomas (9) | Market Square Arena15,301 | 3–0 |- |-
1989–90 Detroit Pistons season
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The 2006 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade was named NBA Finals MVP. Overview This season was the last time that the Sacramento Kings made the playoffs until 2023. The Kings held the longest playoff drought in NBA playoff history at 16 years. The MLB's Seattle Mariners qualified for the playoffs in 2022. The Kings held the title for the longest active playoff drought among the four major North American sports leagues until 2023. The Los Angeles Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since 1997, and advanced to the second round for the first time since 1976, when they were the Buffalo Braves. They came within one game of making the conference finals for the first time, but lost Game 7 to the Suns. Until 2020, this was the closest the Clippers came to making the conference finals. The Phoenix Suns became the eighth team to win a playoff series despite trailing 3–1 with their first round victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals. The Denver Nuggets also appeared in the playoffs as the 3rd seed in the Western Conference despite a 44–38 record (due to winning their division). However, they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, and forced the NBA to change how division winners are seeded starting the following season. 2006 was the playoff debut of LeBron James, who helped the Cleveland Cavaliers eke out 1–point OT victories over the Washington Wizards in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance. It was the Cavaliers first playoff appearance since 1998, and they earned their first playoff series win since 1993. The Cavaliers played against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons in the next round. The Cavs were routed in Game 1. The Cavs lost Game 2 by 6. The Cavs won the next three matches in a row, and they were 1 game away from beating the Pistons. Detroit recovered and won the last 2, in order to take the series in 7. The Pistons and Cavaliers met in the next year's Playoffs, and the Cavaliers won that series in six games. This was the last time that the Pistons beat the Cavaliers in a playoff series, as of 2023. This season also marked the first time that two 60–win teams met before the conference finals, due to the seeding format. The San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks played against each other in the Western Conference semifinals. The Mavericks won the series in seven games, marking the first time the Mavericks beat the Spurs in a playoff series. This year's NBA Finals also featured a number of firsts Both NBA Finalists made their first NBA Finals: The Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat,
2006 NBA playoffs
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The 2022–23 Miami Heat season was the 35th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On April 7, the Heat clinched the title in the Southeast Division with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat regressed from their 53–29 record from the prior season, when they clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Despite finishing the regular season seventh, the team repeated as Southeast Division champions (they were only team in the division with a winning record). Miami clinched the eighth seed in the playoffs following a loss to the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks and a win over the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament. On January 10, 2023, the team set an NBA record by shooting 40–40 on their free throws. In the first round, the Heat eliminated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games, becoming just the sixth eighth-seeded team to defeat a first seed in NBA history in what is regarded by some to be one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history. They also become the first play-in team in NBA history to win a playoff series. With a Game 6 win over the New York Knicks, the Heat became only the second eighth-seeded team to make it to the Conference Finals since the eighth-seed's implementation in 1984, the first being the 1998–99 New York Knicks, who coincidentally won over the Miami Heat. They also became the first play-in team to make the Conference Finals. They also qualified for back–to–back Conference Finals appearances for the first time since 2013 and 2014. The Heat avoided blowing a 3–0 lead to the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals with a 103–84 Game 7 win on May 29, 2023, becoming the first eighth-seeded NBA team to reach the NBA Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks. They would later break that Knicks team's record for wins in a postseason by an 8-seed by notching their 13th victory of the 2023 playoffs when they won Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The defeat of Boston earned Miami their seventh overall Eastern Conference championship, their sixth trip to the NBA Finals in the last thirteen seasons, and their second Finals appearance since 2020. The Heat's season ended in a Finals loss to a former ABA team that won its first NBA championship (echoing a similar fate suffered by the 1999 Knicks, when the San Antonio Spurs began their run of five championships through the next 15 years). One night later, the Florida Panthers lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Vegas Golden Knights; that series also ended in five games, and in the winner's home arena, giving the South Florida region the rare distinction of having two different teams lose the finals of their respective sport on consecutive days. Off the court, the Heat gained notoriety after the naming rights sponsor of its arena filed for bankruptcy in November. This led to the venue being renamed twice during the season,
2022–23 Miami Heat season
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The 1958 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series for the 1957–58 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. It pitted the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks won the series in six games to win the franchise's first and only NBA title. This was the last Finals until 1967 that was not won by the Celtics, and the last until 1971 that was won by the Western Division or Conference. Recap After being defeated by the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals, St. Louis survived a sometimes difficult 1957-58 NBA season en route to winning the Western Division crown with a 41-31 record. The Celtics, meanwhile, had dominated the Eastern Division with a 49-23 record. The Hawks upset the Celtics (with a healthy Russell) in Game 1 at the Boston Garden, 104-102. Boston struck back with a wipeout in Game 2, 136-112. In St. Louis, the Hawks prevailed 111-108 in Game 3 when Russell severely sprained his ankle. Without Russell, the Celtics evened the series with a 109-98 surprise victory in Game 4. St. Louis forced a 102-100 win in Game 5 in Boston to take the series lead. Back home in Kiel Auditorium on April 12, the Hawks weren't about to miss their opportunity to defeat the defending champions. Pettit turned in a spectacular performance. He scored 31 points in the first three quarters, then zoomed off in the final period, nailing 19 of his team's last 21 points. His last two points, on a tip-in with 15 seconds remaining, put the Hawks ahead 110-107. The Celtics scored one final bucket but could do no more. The Hawks finally had a title, 110-109. Pettit had scored 50 points, including 18 of the Hawks' final 21 points in propelling the Hawks to the championship. Pettit's 50 points set a new Finals record for most scored by a player in a series-clinching game, a record that would finally be tied by Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 Most observers figured that the Celtics probably would have won the 1958 title if Russell had not suffered his ankle injury in game 3. Auerbach, however, found no comfort in that opinion. "You can always look for excuses," he said. "We just got beat." Series summary Hawks win series 4–2 Team rosters St. Louis Hawks Boston Celtics Game summaries Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 See also 1958 NBA Playoffs References 1957-58 NBA Season Summary, basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2014. External links NBA History Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Basketball competitions in Boston Basketball competitions in St. Louis NBA Finals, 1958 NBA Finals, 1958 NBA Finals NBA Finals
1958 NBA Finals
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The 2003–04 NBA season was the 58th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Detroit Pistons defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4–1 in the 2004 NBA Finals. Events This was the last season for the original two-division format in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, before each of the conferences added a third division the following season. As a result, this would also be the final season for the NBA Midwest Division, as the Minnesota Timberwolves were that division's last champion, the only division title the franchise has won in their twenty-nine seasons in the NBA. The All-Star Game was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The West won 136–132; Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named Most Valuable Player. For the first time in 21 years the Portland Trail Blazers did not make the playoffs, ending the second longest streak in NBA history. For the first time in 20 years the Utah Jazz did not make the playoffs, ending the third longest streak in NBA history. The Houston Rockets played their first game at the Toyota Center. They reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and lost to the eventual Conference champion Lakers in five games. This marked the only playoff appearance of Steve Francis NBA career. Prior to the start of the season, Karl Malone and Gary Payton took major paycuts to leave their teams and join Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal on the Lakers for a chance at a possible NBA title. However, that title chase came to an end in the NBA Finals, as the Detroit Pistons won 4–1. The Minnesota Timberwolves, behind their "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell, and Sam Cassell, amassed the best record in the Western Conference, and were expected to finally win a first round playoff series. They won two and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, which they lost to the Lakers. It would be their last playoff appearance until the 2017–18 season. LeBron James (1st overall to Cleveland), Carmelo Anthony (3rd overall to Denver), Chris Bosh (4th overall to Toronto), and Dwyane Wade (5th overall to Miami), among others, formed one of the strongest drafts in NBA history. Among the highly touted rookies, Anthony and Wade led their teams to the playoffs, and Wade's play pushed the Heat into the second round. James went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Anthony became the first NBA rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs during the 1989–90 season. The Memphis Grizzlies qualified for the postseason for the first time in the franchise's then 9 year history, dating back to their days in Vancouver. With a record of 50–32, it was also the first time they posted a winning season. It was also their last season played at Pyramid Arena. Tracy McGrady was the first scoring leader since Bernard King in 1984–85 whose team did not make the playoffs. General Motors ended
2003–04 NBA season
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The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4–2 in the 2003 NBA Finals. This would be Michael Jordan's last season in the NBA. This season would also mark the first finals since the 1998–99 NBA season that the Lakers did not appear in, and the Spurs' first finals appearance since then. Notable occurrences The Hornets relocate from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans, Louisiana. At the time, the New Orleans Hornets were a continuation of the Charlotte Hornets franchise, but this was changed in 2014 after the second incarnation of the Hornets (originally the Charlotte Bobcats starting in 2004) purchased the records and history of the Hornets franchise from 1988 to 2002. As such, this was the first of two seasons in which the Charlotte NBA franchise "suspended operations" while the New Orleans NBA franchise was retconned as an expansion team. At halftime of the Hornets' first game in New Orleans, the team retired Pete Maravich's jersey number against their former tenants, the Utah Jazz. Though Maravich never played for the Hornets, he had been a star player with LSU Tigers and New Orleans Jazz. The San Antonio Spurs played their first game at the SBC Center, (now the Frost Bank Center). The Houston Rockets played their final season at the Compaq Center (formerly as The Summit, now the Lakewood Church Central Campus). The 2003 NBA All-Star Game was held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. The West won 155–145 in double-overtime, the longest All-Star game in NBA history. Minnesota's Kevin Garnett took the game's MVP honors. It was also the last time an Eastern Conference city hosted an All-Star Game (until 2012), and the last time a rookie played (until 2011) and started an All-Star game, with Yao Ming making his All-Star debut. Michael Jordan announces his third and final retirement. He plays his last game on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia. The NBA on ABC begins (replacing NBA on NBC) again after a 29-year hiatus when the NBA signs new television deals with TNT and the consortium of ABC and ESPN. This agreement significantly decreased the number of games on network television, including the playoffs, in which very few games are shown on ABC, with the exception of the NBA Finals, which are shown entirely on ABC. Also, both conference finals are shown live on cable for the first time. For the first time in NBA history, two former ABA teams contest each other in the NBA Finals, the New Jersey Nets versus the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA changes the first-round format from a best-of-five-game series to a best-of-seven-game series for the 2003 NBA playoffs. A new low in television ratings for the NBA Finals is reached, replacing the 1981 series as the least-watched Finals (later surpassed by the 2007 Finals). On January 7, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers scored 45 points against the Seattle
2002–03 NBA season
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The 1962 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1962 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1961–62 season. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers and Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics. This was the Celtics' sixth straight trip to the Finals, and they won the best-of-seven series in Game 7, 110–107 in overtime. It was the second time in NBA history and the most recent Finals in which the series was decided by overtime in Game 7. The only other Finals series decided in overtime in the seventh game was the 1957 Finals. Series summary Celtics win series 4–3 Team rosters Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers Records During the series, Lakers forward Elgin Baylor scored a Finals record 61 points in Game 5 and 284 points total in the series. Celtics center Bill Russell set a still-standing record for rebounds in a 7-game series with 189, and tied his own record for rebounds in a single game with 40 in Game 7. The potential championship-winner bounces off the rim In the last 5 seconds of regulation in Game 7, Laker Frank Selvy missed an open 12-footer from the baseline that would have won the championship for Los Angeles and ended the Celtics dynasty. Instead, the game went into OT in which the Celtics then won the game and thus the title. For the Lakers, it would start the pattern of not winning the big games in the NBA Finals, something that lasted until 1972 when the Lakers finally won their first title in Los Angeles. The Lakers would not defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals until 1985, which they did on the Celtics' home floor; they lost to the Boston Celtics in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984 and 2008. After the 1985 Finals, the Lakers would beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals again in 1987 and 2010, both times in California. See also 1962 NBA Playoffs 1961–62 NBA season References Other sources "1961-62 NBA Season Summary", basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014. External links Sports Illustrated (April 30, 1962) Too Much To Beat This Year 1962 Finals at NBA.com 1962 NBA Playoffs at Basketball-Reference.com Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Basketball competitions in Boston Basketball competitions in Los Angeles 1960s in Boston NBA Finals
1962 NBA Finals
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The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 53rd season of the team in the National Basketball Association. The Knicks entered the season as runner-ups of the 1999 NBA Finals, where despite losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games, they became the first eighth seeded team to reach the NBA Finals. During the off-season, the team signed free agents John Wallace and Andrew Lang; Wallace previously played for the Knicks during the 1996–97 season. After advancing to the NBA Finals as the #8 seed last year, the Knicks won their first three games, but then lost seven of their next ten games, as Patrick Ewing missed the first 20 games with Achilles tendonitis. However, they won 11 of their next 13 games, then later on held a 29–18 record at the All-Star break, and finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 50–32 record, good enough for their first 50-win season since 1997. Allan Houston led the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while Latrell Sprewell, who became the team's starting small forward after playing off the bench the previous season, averaged 18.6 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Ewing provided the team with 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. In addition, Larry Johnson contributed 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while Marcus Camby played a sixth man role averaging 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game off the bench, but only played 59 games due to a knee injury. Kurt Thomas provided with 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game also off the bench, while Charlie Ward contributed 7.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and Chris Childs contributed 5.3 points and 4.0 assists per game off the bench. Houston and head coach Jeff Van Gundy both represented the Eastern Conference during the 2000 NBA All-Star Game. In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Knicks swept the Toronto Raptors in three straight games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they faced the Miami Heat for the fourth consecutive year. Despite trailing 2–3 after losing Game 5 in Miami, 87–81, the Knicks would defeat the 2nd-seeded Heat in a tough, hard-fought seven-game series, but would lose in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, ending their hopes of making the Finals for a second straight year. The Pacers would lose in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. As of 2023, this marks the last time the Knicks had reached the Eastern Conference finals. This season marked an end of an era as Ewing was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in an off-season four-team trade, after playing fifteen seasons in New York. Also following the season, Chris Dudley was traded to the Phoenix Suns, while Wallace was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, and Lang was released to free agency. Offseason NBA draft Roster Regular season Standings c – clinched conference title y – clinched division title x – clinched
1999–2000 New York Knicks season
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The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 NBA season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks were favored to win the championship over the Miami Heat. Despite these odds, the Heat won the title in six games over the Mavericks, becoming the third team—after the 1969 Celtics, the 1977 Trail Blazers and later the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2021 Milwaukee Bucks—to win a championship after trailing 0–2 in the series. Dwyane Wade of the Heat was named Most Valuable Player of the series. The series featured two teams who had never previously appeared in the Finals for the first time since , and it was consequently the first Finals since where neither team had previously won an NBA title. The next Finals appearance for both franchises would come five years later in , with the Mavericks winning the rematch over the Heat. This was the second NBA Finals match-up of teams from Florida and Texas, after the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic contested the 1995 NBA Finals. Until the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals, it was the last Finals loss by a team from Texas (Houston lost in 1981 and 1986) versus eight Finals victories (five by San Antonio, two by Houston, and one by Dallas) including the Spurs in 2007 and the Mavericks in 2011. This was the only Finals of the 2000s not to involve the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Antonio Spurs, and the first since 1995 not to feature either Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich as head coach. It was also the first Finals where the same company (American Airlines) owned the naming rights to both home arenas; however, the Miami arena is now known as the Kaseya Center. Background The Miami Heat joined the league in the 1988–89 season, but they did not rise to prominence until they hired Pat Riley to be their head coach and president before the 1995–96 season. In Riley's first stint, the Heat were playoff regulars between 1996 and 2001, however, the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks always thwarted Miami's dreams of a championship or even a Finals berth. However, when the team drafted Dwyane Wade fifth overall in 2003, things started to look up for the Heat. They went 42-40 under interim coach Stan Van Gundy, making the playoffs after a 2-year hiatus. They defeated the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, but they ultimately fell to the Pacers in 6 games. The 2004 offseason saw the addition of Shaquille O'Neal, and with Wade and O'Neal performing well, the Heat won 59 games in the 2004–05 season, as they took the defending champions Detroit Pistons to seven games in the conference finals. The following season, after an early 11–10 start, Van Gundy resigned and Riley returned to coaching. Though injuries and lack of chemistry hobbled the Heat initially, they still managed to win 52 games that season. After a culmination of harmony
2006 NBA Finals
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The 2002 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This was the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; the 2003 NBA playoffs saw those series expand to a best-of-7 format. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets 4 games to 0 in the 2002 NBA Finals.Shaquille O'Neal was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. The 2002 playoffs are best remembered for that year's Western Conference Finals between the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. The matchup between the Lakers and Kings is regarded as one of the most controversial playoff series in NBA history. At the time, there was widespread criticism of the officiating as favoring the Lakers, especially in Game 6. Several years later, disgraced referee Tim Donaghy accused the Game 6 officiating crew of fixing the game, at the behest of the NBA's front office. Overview The 2002 NBA Playoffs marked the return of the Boston Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995. In addition, the New Jersey Nets returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1998. This also marked the last appearance of the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs until 2010. The Hornets moved the next year to New Orleans, while an expansion team, formerly the Bobcats, was formed in 2004. The Hornets were renamed the Pelicans in 2013, after which the Bobcats reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014. The Hornets also reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Charlotte teams. In addition, this also marked the last time NBC and TBS aired NBA games as regular TV partners of the league. The New York Knicks missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, while the Miami Heat missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995. With that, Pat Riley missed the playoffs for the first time in his coaching career. Also the Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 1988. With their first round series win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics won their first playoff series since 1992. With their first round series win over the Toronto Raptors, the Detroit Pistons won their first playoff series since 1991. With their first round series win over the Indiana Pacers, the New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time since 1984. Game 4 of the Nets–Hornets series was the final playoff game ever played at Charlotte Coliseum. Game 5 of the Lakers–Spurs series was the last NBA game aired on TBS. With their conference semifinals victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the New Jersey Nets made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. It also marked the first time the Nets won a best of seven playoff series in franchise history. With their conference semifinals victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 1988.
2002 NBA playoffs
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The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1986–87 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference and defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's Junior sky hook in Game 4. This was the tenth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals (more than any other Finals matchup). It would be the Celtics' last Finals appearance until the two teams met in 2008. This was the first NBA Championship Series conducted entirely in June. The last time there were no NBA Championship Series games in May was in the 1970–1971 season, when the finals (a four-game sweep that year) ended on April 30. It is also the first NBA Finals series to be conducted on a Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday rotation, which was in use until 1990 and revived since the 2004 NBA Finals; in between the NBA Finals were conducted on a Sunday-Wednesday-Friday rotation. Background Boston Celtics Thanks to the 1984 trade of Gerald Henderson and the subsequent fall of the Seattle SuperSonics, at the end of 1985–86 the Celtics were not only the best team in the NBA but also owned the second pick in the 1986 NBA draft. They chose Len Bias with the pick and had high hopes that the presence of the young Maryland Terrapins star would ensure that the franchise would remain a powerhouse after Bird, McHale, and Parish retired. Unfortunately, Bias died 48 hours after being drafted, after using cocaine at a party and overdosing. The Celtics finished the regular season with a 59–23 record, best in the Eastern Conference. Despite retaining the core of the team that won the championship a year earlier, Boston endured numerous injuries to its roster. Their bench, an asset of the previous year's team, was decimated by injuries to Scott Wedman and Bill Walton. With limited options, head coach K. C. Jones was forced to give his starting five of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge extended minutes, but the lengthy playing time took its toll on the players' health, and by the start of the playoffs, the Celtics were a roster full of walking wounded. After sweeping the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Celtics were pushed to a Game 7 in the next two rounds by the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons, only to advance each time. Still, the Celtics' health became a question mark as they entered the Finals. Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers finished the regular season with a league-best 65–17 record. Head coach Pat Riley made a strategical move, shifting the offensive focus to Magic Johnson. The Lakers acquired center Mychal Thompson via trade midway through the season. Both moves helped alleviate the load off of the aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who turned 40 during the playoffs. A.C. Green supplanted Kurt Rambis in the starting lineup. During
1987 NBA Finals
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The 1984 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983–84 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP. This was the first postseason allowing 16 teams to qualify, a format still in use. The first round format was also changed from best-of-3 to best-of 5. It was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969; they met 7 times in the Finals from 1959 to 1969, with Boston coming out on top each year. Going into the 1984 playoffs, the Lakers had already won 2 titles in the 1980s and the Celtics 1, making the revival of the Celtics–Lakers rivalry arguably inevitable and certainly highly anticipated. Two teams made their playoff debuts and won their first playoff series: the Utah Jazz (who joined the NBA for the 1974–75 season as the New Orleans Jazz) and Dallas Mavericks, a 1980 expansion team. The Jazz did not miss the playoffs again until 2004. The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time since 1977, starting a string of nine consecutive appearances that included five straight Conference Finals appearances (1987-1991), three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (1988, 1989, and 1990) and two NBA Championships. They did not miss the playoffs again until 1993. The New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time in their NBA history, upsetting the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in 5. This was also the only time the road team won every game in a five-game playoff series. The Nets would not win a playoff series again until 2002. This was the final postseason appearance for the Kansas City Kings, as the team moved to Sacramento, California two seasons later. Kemper Arena hosted its final NBA playoff game. The Kingdome also hosted its final NBA playoff game, as the Seattle SuperSonics moved back full-time to the Seattle Center Coliseum two years later. However, the Kingdome continued to host Sonics regular season games on occasion until . The 1984 playoffs also involved two of the hottest games in NBA history. Game 5 of the First Round between the Knicks and Pistons was played at Joe Louis Arena, as the Pontiac Silverdome was unavailable, with temperatures reaching as high as 120°. Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers at Boston Garden reached temperatures as high as 100°, as the Garden lacked air-conditioning, coupled with the sweltering outdoors conditions in Boston. This is the last postseason of using the 2-2-1-1-1 format of the NBA Finals until 2014; the 1985 NBA Finals was changed to the 2-3-2 format the next season. Bracket First round Eastern Conference first round (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Washington Bullets Robert Parish hits the game-tying jumper with 21 seconds left to force OT. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one
1984 NBA playoffs
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The 1954 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1953–54 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. For the Lakers, it was their third straight NBA title, and fifth in the last six years. With the folding of the Indianapolis Olympians after the previous year's playoffs, leaving the NBA with nine teams, they resorted to a round-robin playoff format in 1954 for the only time in league history. Although the Minneapolis Lakers, Fort Wayne Pistons, Rochester Royals and Syracuse Nationals all play in different cities now (Los Angeles, Detroit, Sacramento and Philadelphia respectively), this is the earliest NBA playoff in which every team that participated still exists today. Bracket Division Round Robin Semifinals Within each division, the top three teams in the season standings played a double round robin, comprising one home game in each city for each pair of teams, in order to eliminate one of the three participants. A three-way tie with two wins each would have secured home-court advantage in the Division Finals for New York or Minneapolis, who finished first in the season standings, against an opponent to be determined by one further game played with the season runner-up as host. In the event, neither round-robin generated even a two-way tie, so no seventh game was required in either Division. Two of three teams (shaded green) advanced to the Division Finals. The second game between Minneapolis and Rochester—the sixth and final Western Division game scheduled—was not played because both teams had qualified for the Division Final and Minneapolis had secured home-court advantage in that series. The sixth and final Eastern Division game scheduled, Boston at Syracuse, was played because home-court advantage in their subsequent Division Final hadn't been determined. Both teams had won 42 season games and Boston had won by coin flip the edge in case of a tie in the round-robin stage. Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals (1) New York Knicks, (2) Boston Celtics, (3) Syracuse Nationals With the Knicks having already been mathematically eliminated from contention, this is the only playoff game to date in which one team had nothing to play for. This contest only contributed towards who would have home-court advantage in the Division Finals between the Nationals and Celtics. This was the fourth playoff meeting between the Celtics and Knicks, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings. This was the second playoff meeting between the Celtics and Nationals, with the Celtics winning the first meeting. This was the fourth playoff meeting between the Knicks and Nationals, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings. Western Division Round Robin Semifinals (1) Minneapolis Lakers, (2) Rochester Royals, (3) Fort Wayne Pistons The contest originally scheduled for March 23 (Minneapolis @ Rochester) was not played due to first place finishers owning a tiebreaker, and thus the final positions in the round-robin were already locked in.
1954 NBA playoffs