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.
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 23–June 14, 1987 |
| Season | 1986–87 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (10th title) |
| Runner-up | Boston Celtics |
| Semifinalists | |
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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 2024, 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
edit| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Milwaukee | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Milwaukee | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Philadelphia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Washington | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Atlanta* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Atlanta* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Indiana | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Denver | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Golden State | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Utah | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Golden State | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Portland | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Houston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Houston | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Dallas* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
editEastern Conference first round
edit(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
editApril 23
|
| Chicago Bulls 104, Boston Celtics 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–34, 23–32, 26–20, 31–22 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 |
Pts: Kevin McHale 21 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Larry Bird 13 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Tommy Nunez Sr., Mike Lauerman |
April 26
|
| Chicago Bulls 96, Boston Celtics 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 18–26, 29–26, 19–23 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 42 Rebs: Charles Oakley 15 Asts: Jordan, Threatt 4 each |
Pts: Larry Bird 29 Rebs: McHale, Parish 10 each Asts: Larry Bird 8 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 28
|
| Boston Celtics 105, Chicago Bulls 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 23–24, 17–21, 37–21 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 30 Rebs: Charles Oakley 19 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 | |
| Boston wins series, 3–0 | ||
| Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
| Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (7) Indiana Pacers
editApril 24
|
| Indiana Pacers 94, Atlanta Hawks 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–30, 16–21, 27–35 | ||
| Pts: Steve Stipanovich 22 Rebs: Steve Stipanovich 13 Asts: Vern Fleming 6 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins 35 Rebs: Tree Rollins 11 Asts: Spud Webb 9 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 26
|
| Indiana Pacers 93, Atlanta Hawks 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 23–27, 21–21, 23–23 | ||
| Pts: Chuck Person 24 Rebs: Herb Williams 8 Asts: Williams, Fleming 4 each |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins 43 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Spud Webb 14 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 29
|
| Atlanta Hawks 87, Indiana Pacers 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 21–19, 25–23, 25–27 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 22 Rebs: Kevin Willis 7 Asts: Doc Rivers 10 |
Pts: Chuck Person 23 Rebs: Chuck Person 17 Asts: Chuck Person 7 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 1
|
| Atlanta Hawks 101, Indiana Pacers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 27–21, 29–32, 29–24 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 30 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 9 Asts: Doc Rivers 15 |
Pts: Chuck Person 40 Rebs: Vern Fleming 11 Asts: Vern Fleming 8 | |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–1 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 14,039 Referees: Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford, Lee Jones |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Pacers.[2]
(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Washington Bullets
editApril 24
|
| Washington Bullets 92, Detroit Pistons 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 21–31, 28–23, 19–26 | ||
| Pts: Terry Catledge 24 Rebs: Malone, Catledge 12 each Asts: Moses Malone 3 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas 34 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 10 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Attendance: 15,419 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
April 26
|
| Washington Bullets 85, Detroit Pistons 128 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 14–40, 31–29, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Terry Catledge 19 Rebs: Moses Malone 10 Asts: Ennis Whatley 4 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley 24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 9 Asts: Vinnie Johnson 13 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Attendance: 14,389 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins, Bernie Fryer |
April 29
|
| Detroit Pistons 97, Washington Bullets 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 27–28, 24–16, 19–25 | ||
| Pts: Dantley, Johnson 21 each Rebs: Rick Mahorn 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 |
Pts: Moses Malone 31 Rebs: Moses Malone 16 Asts: Michael Adams 8 | |
| Detroit wins series, 3–0 | ||
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
Attendance: 10,831 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Jess Kersey, James Capers Sr. |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Bullets.[3]
(4) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers
editApril 24
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 104, Milwaukee Bucks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–27, 33–34, 20–22 | ||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 21 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 9 each |
Pts: Terry Cummings 21 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 10 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 26
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 125, Milwaukee Bucks 122 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 23–22, 29–31, 30–24, Overtime: 17–14 | ||
| Pts: Roy Hinson 28 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 |
Pts: Ricky Pierce 24 Rebs: Randy Breuer 9 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 29
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 121, Philadelphia 76ers 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–32, 37–38, 36–25 | ||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 26 Rebs: Jack Sikma 12 Asts: John Lucas 9 |
Pts: Charles Barkley 39 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 10 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 8 each | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 | ||
- Jack Sikma gets his shot blocked, jumps back up, catches the ball in mid-air and line-drives it in with 2 seconds left for the game-winner.
May 1
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 118, Philadelphia 76ers 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–18, 28–34, 23–32, 38–40 | ||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 29 Rebs: Jack Sikma 13 Asts: John Lucas 10 |
Pts: Charles Barkley 25 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 3
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 89, Milwaukee Bucks 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 28–24, 17–21, 22–28 | ||
| Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Cheeks, Wingate 5 each |
Pts: Jack Sikma 18 Rebs: Jack Sikma 21 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–2 | ||
- Julius Erving's final NBA game.
| Philadelphia won 3–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first six meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference first round
edit(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
editApril 23
|
| Denver Nuggets 95, Los Angeles Lakers 128 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–39, 21–43, 20–30, 22–16 | ||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen 26 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 13 Asts: Fat Lever 9 |
Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
- Magic Johnson hits an 88-foot shot at the buzzer to end the first half.
April 25
|
| Denver Nuggets 127, Los Angeles Lakers 139 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–40, 32–33, 33–32, 39–34 | ||
| Pts: Fat Lever 26 Rebs: Fat Lever 10 Asts: Fat Lever 9 |
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
April 29
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 140, Denver Nuggets 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 44–30, 36–22, 35–25 | ||
| Pts: Byron Scott 25 Rebs: A.C. Green 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
Pts: Alex English 25 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 12 Asts: Alex English 6 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 15,137 Referees: Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins, Mike Lauerman |
| Los Angeles won 5–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Dallas Mavericks vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics
editApril 23
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 129, Dallas Mavericks 151 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–39, 31–38, 29–43, 41–31 | ||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 35 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 13 Asts: Xavier McDaniel 7 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 11 Asts: Brad Davis 9 | |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 25
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 112, Dallas Mavericks 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–34, 29–32, 26–26, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 32 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 9 Asts: Nate McMillan 8 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 8 Asts: Derek Harper 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 28
|
| Dallas Mavericks 107, Seattle SuperSonics 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–26, 22–29, 36–34, 34–28 | ||
| Pts: Derek Harper 30 Rebs: Sam Perkins 11 Asts: Derek Harper 8 |
Pts: Dale Ellis 43 Rebs: Dale Ellis 14 Asts: Nate McMillan 9 | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 | ||
Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 8,150 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Saar, Bennett Salvatore |
April 30
|
| Dallas Mavericks 98, Seattle SuperSonics 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–33, 27–28, 29–27, 21–36 | ||
| Pts: Rolando Blackman 25 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 17 Asts: Derek Harper 5 |
Pts: Tom Chambers 31 Rebs: Chambers, Ellis 9 each Asts: Nate McMillan 9 | |
| Seattle wins series, 3–1 | ||
Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 8,150 Referees: Earl Strom, Tommy Nunez Sr., Bill Oakes |
- Seattle becomes first 7th seeded team to eliminate 2nd seeded team since Playoffs moved to 16-team format in 1984.
| Dallas won 5–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first meeting.
| Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Houston Rockets
editApril 24
|
| Houston Rockets 125, Portland Trail Blazers 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–32, 30–28, 27–22, 33–33 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: Allen Leavell 10 |
Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 30 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 13 Asts: Terry Porter 11 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 26
|
| Houston Rockets 98, Portland Trail Blazers 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–29, 12–27, 26–28, 22–27 | ||
| Pts: Leavell, Sampson 28 each Rebs: Rodney McCray 12 Asts: Allen Leavell 8 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 32 Rebs: Porter, Johnson 8 each Asts: Terry Porter 15 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Saar, Bennett Salvatore |
April 28
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 108, Houston Rockets 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–38, 23–32, 34–24, 29–23 | ||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler 26 Rebs: Johnson, Jones 10 each Asts: Terry Porter 8 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Allen Leavell 13 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 | ||
April 30
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 101, Houston Rockets 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 30–41, 17–28, 33–24 | ||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 27 Rebs: Steve Johnson 12 Asts: Terry Porter 6 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: McCray, Sampson 10 each Asts: Allen Leavell 8 | |
| Houston wins series, 3–1 | ||
| Portland won 3–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Trail Blazers.[7]
(4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Golden State Warriors
editApril 23
|
| Golden State Warriors 85, Utah Jazz 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–21, 23–32, 27–23, 17–23 | ||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 18 Rebs: Joe Barry Carroll 9 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 8 |
Pts: Malone, Bailey 20 each Rebs: Mark Eaton 15 Asts: Rickey Green 15 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 25
|
| Golden State Warriors 100, Utah Jazz 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 28–35, 30–15, 24–25 | ||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 12 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 9 |
Pts: Darrell Griffith 25 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Hansen, Stockton 5 each | |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 29
|
| Utah Jazz 95, Golden State Warriors 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 20–32, 23–22, 28–33 | ||
| Pts: Kelly Tripucka 16 Rebs: Karl Malone 9 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
Pts: Terry Teagle 30 Rebs: Larry Smith 17 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 8 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes, Bennett Salvatore |
May 1
|
| Utah Jazz 94, Golden State Warriors 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 26–18, 26–25, 20–30 | ||
| Pts: Hansen, Malone 20 each Rebs: Mark Eaton 15 Asts: John Stockton 11 |
Pts: Purvis Short 32 Rebs: Larry Smith 8 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
May 3
|
| Golden State Warriors 118, Utah Jazz 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–29, 32–22, 23–26, 28–36 | ||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 24 Rebs: Larry Smith 14 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 14 |
Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Mark Eaton 10 Asts: John Stockton 13 | |
| Golden State wins series, 3–2 | ||
| Utah won 3–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Warriors and the Jazz.[8]
Conference Semifinals
editEastern Conference Semifinals
edit(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Milwaukee Bucks
editMay 5
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 98, Boston Celtics 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 29–31, 18–20, 25–26 | ||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Terry Cummings 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 8 |
Pts: Larry Bird 40 Rebs: Robert Parish 12 Asts: Bird, Johnson 7 each | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Dick Bavetta |
May 6
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 124, Boston Celtics 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 37–39, 31–36, 29–26 | ||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Jack Sikma 14 Asts: Paul Pressey 6 |
Pts: Bird, Ainge 30 each Rebs: Larry Bird 10 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 8
|
| Boston Celtics 121, Milwaukee Bucks 126 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–33, 24–29, 26–23, 30–29, Overtime: 7–12 | ||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 32 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 |
Pts: John Lucas 30 Rebs: Terry Cummings 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 10
|
| Boston Celtics 138, Milwaukee Bucks 137 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 32–34, 29–30, 24–22, Overtime: 10–10, 11–10 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird 42 Rebs: Kevin McHale 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 12 |
Pts: Terry Cummings 31 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 11 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 | ||
May 13
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 129, Boston Celtics 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–32, 27–34, 32–36, 32–22 | ||
| Pts: Sidney Moncrief 33 Rebs: Sikma, Cummings 9 each Asts: Paul Pressey 10 |
Pts: Robert Parish 30 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Larry Bird 12 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 15
|
| Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–27, 31–32, 24–31, 20–31 | ||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 16 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 |
Pts: Sidney Moncrief 34 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 11 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford |
May 17
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 113, Boston Celtics 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–29, 23–27, 30–32, 24–31 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pressey 28 Rebs: Jack Sikma 10 Asts: Paul Pressey 8 |
Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Robert Parish 19 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first four meetings.
| Boston leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
editMay 3
|
| Detroit Pistons 112, Atlanta Hawks 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 29–31, 29–28, 27–26 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 30 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 |
Pts: Kevin Willis 22 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 5
|
| Detroit Pistons 102, Atlanta Hawks 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 26–31, 23–27, 31–32 | ||
| Pts: Laimbeer, Thomas 20 each Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 6 |
Pts: Randy Wittman 34 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 16,522 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bennett Salvatore, Jack Nies |
May 8
|
| Atlanta Hawks 99, Detroit Pistons 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 18–16, 34–44, 24–23 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 26 Rebs: Kevin Willis 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 8 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas 35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Attendance: 24,544 Referees: Hue Hollins, Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton |
May 10
|
| Atlanta Hawks 88, Detroit Pistons 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–17, 21–23, 23–29, 25–20 | ||
| Pts: Wilkins, Battle 19 each Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 7 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas 31 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 17 Asts: Joe Dumars 5 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 | ||
- Isiah Thomas makes the game-winning layup with 1 second left.
May 13
|
| Detroit Pistons 104, Atlanta Hawks 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 18–29, 23–26, 39–19 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 21 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins 26 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 15 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning three of the first four meetings. It is the first win for the Pistons since the franchise moved to Detroit.
| Atlanta leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference semifinals
edit(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Golden State Warriors
editMay 5
|
| Golden State Warriors 116, Los Angeles Lakers 125 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 33–25, 23–49, 31–21 | ||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 7 Asts: Larry Smith 11 |
Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
May 7
|
| Golden State Warriors 101, Los Angeles Lakers 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 26–26, 27–27, 23–31 | ||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 13 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 12 |
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Michael Cooper 12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes, John Vanak |
May 9
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 133, Golden State Warriors 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–24, 35–32, 30–30, 30–22 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 23 Rebs: Larry Smith 15 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Paul Mihalak |
May 10
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 121, Golden State Warriors 129 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–27, 31–30, 37–31, 19–41 | ||
| Pts: Byron Scott 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 12 Asts: Michael Cooper 10 |
Pts: Sleepy Floyd 51 Rebs: Larry Smith 16 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 10 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Paul Mihalak, John Vanak |
- Sleepy Floyd's record 39-point 2nd half and 29-point 4th quarter.
May 12
|
| Golden State Warriors 106, Los Angeles Lakers 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 23–33, 25–34, 29–19 | ||
| Pts: Purvis Short 20 Rebs: Larry Smith 23 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 11 |
Pts: James Worthy 23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins, Tommy Nunez Sr. |
| Los Angeles won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first five meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(6) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics
editMay 2
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 111, Houston Rockets 106 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 24–22, 28–25, 20–24, Overtime: 14–9 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 34 Rebs: Tom Chambers 9 Asts: Nate McMillan 8 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Rodney McCray 8 | |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 5
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 99, Houston Rockets 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 24–27, 18–31, 29–18 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 30 Rebs: Dale Ellis 9 Asts: Eddie Johnson 8 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: Olajuwon, Sampson 13 each Asts: Leavell, McCray 8 each | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 7
|
| Houston Rockets 102, Seattle SuperSonics 84 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–20, 27–13, 19–24, 27–27 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 33 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Robert Reid 9 |
Pts: Tom Chambers 24 Rebs: Dale Ellis 10 Asts: McMillan, Young 4 each | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 9
|
| Houston Rockets 102, Seattle SuperSonics 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–31, 24–31, 24–24, 23–31 | ||
| Pts: McCray, Olajuwon 20 each Rebs: Rodney McCray 12 Asts: Allen Leavell 5 |
Pts: Tom Chambers 38 Rebs: Alton Lister 17 Asts: Nate McMillan 10 | |
| Seattle leads series, 3–1 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 14,559 Referees: John Vanak, Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes |
May 12
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 107, Houston Rockets 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 34–31, 30–23, 21–23 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 27 Rebs: Tom Chambers 9 Asts: Eddie Johnson 6 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 26 Rebs: Rodney McCray 10 Asts: Rodney McCray 11 | |
| Seattle leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 14
|
| Houston Rockets 125, Seattle SuperSonics 128 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–36, 30–18, 26–24, 23–29, Overtime: 8–8, 10–13 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 49 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Asts: Robert Reid 12 |
Pts: Tom Chambers 37 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 12 Asts: Nate McMillan 16 | |
| Seattle wins series, 4–2 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 14,751 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hugh Evans, Hue Hollins |
| Seattle won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first meeting.
| Seattle leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference finals
editEastern Conference finals
edit(1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
editMay 19
|
| Detroit Pistons 91, Boston Celtics 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 18–18, 28–31, 23–29 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 18 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 11 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 |
Pts: Robert Parish 31 Rebs: Larry Bird 16 Asts: Larry Bird 11 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 21
|
| Detroit Pistons 101, Boston Celtics 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 36–22, 22–28, 20–28 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 36 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 |
Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Bird, Parish 9 each Asts: Larry Bird 12 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 23
|
| Boston Celtics 104, Detroit Pistons 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–37, 25–36, 28–20, 23–29 | ||
| Pts: Sam Vincent 18 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 12 Asts: Vinnie Johnson 8 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
May 24
|
| Boston Celtics 119, Detroit Pistons 145 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 33–31, 30–42, 31–41 | ||
| Pts: Sam Vincent 18 Rebs: Kevin McHale 9 Asts: Sam Vincent 7 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley 32 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Thomas, Dumars 8 each | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
May 26
|
| Detroit Pistons 107, Boston Celtics 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–38, 27–20, 29–28, 22–22 | ||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 |
Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Larry Bird 9 | |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 | ||
- Larry Bird steals Isiah Thomas' inbound pass and gives the ball to Dennis Johnson, who hits the game-winning lay-up with 1 second left.
May 28
|
| Boston Celtics 105, Detroit Pistons 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–31, 22–27, 28–26, 22–29 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird 35 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 |
Pts: Dantley, V. Johnson 24 each Rebs: Rick Mahorn 18 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Attendance: 28,383 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Joe Crawford, Bill Saar |
May 30
|
| Detroit Pistons 114, Boston Celtics 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–24, 25–31, 24–26, 34–36 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 35 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
Pts: Larry Bird 37 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 | ||
| Boston won 3–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
| Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference finals
edit(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics
editMay 16
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 87, Los Angeles Lakers 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 17–24, 30–26, 15–15 | ||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 28 Rebs: McDaniel, Lister 10 each Asts: Nate McMillan 8 |
Pts: James Worthy 27 Rebs: Magic Johnson 7 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
May 19
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 104, Los Angeles Lakers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 26–24, 22–27, 27–29 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 22 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 8 Asts: Nate McMillan 7 |
Pts: James Worthy 30 Rebs: A.C. Green 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
May 23
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 122, Seattle SuperSonics 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–32, 28–26, 33–28, 25–35 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy 39 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 |
Pts: Xavier McDaniel 42 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 10 Asts: Nate McMillan 15 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 14,657 Referees: Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalak, John Vanak |
- Michael Cooper's game-saving block on Dale Ellis with 35 seconds left.
May 25
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 133, Seattle SuperSonics 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 39–28, 29–19, 32–30, 33–25 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy 26 Rebs: A.C. Green 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
Pts: Tom Chambers 20 Rebs: Alton Lister 20 Asts: Kevin Williams 5 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 | ||
| Los Angeles won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning two of the first three meetings.
| Seattle leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E1) Boston Celtics
editJune 2
|
| Boston Celtics 113, Los Angeles Lakers 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–35, 28–34, 31–32, 28–25 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 7 Asts: Dennis Johnson 13 |
Pts: James Worthy 33 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
June 4
|
| Boston Celtics 122, Los Angeles Lakers 141 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–38, 22–37, 36–32, 30–34 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird 23 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
Pts: Byron Scott 24 Rebs: M. Johnson, Rambis 5 each Asts: Magic Johnson 20 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
- Michael Cooper hits six 3-pointers.
June 7
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 103, Boston Celtics 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 27–38, 22–26, 25–23 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 32 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Ainge, McHale 5 each | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
June 9
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 107, Boston Celtics 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 25–26, 31–30, 29–21 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Asts: Cooper, M. Johnson 5 each |
Pts: Kevin McHale 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
- Magic Johnson hits the game-winning "Baby-Hook" with 2 seconds left.
June 11
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 108, Boston Celtics 123 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–38, 29–33, 31–27 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 29 Rebs: Magic Johnson 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
Pts: Dennis Johnson 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
June 14
|
| Boston Celtics 93, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–25, 24–26, 12–30, 25–25 | ||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 33 Rebs: D. Johnson, McHale 10 each Asts: Danny Ainge 6 |
Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 | ||
- Bill Walton's final NBA game.
| Los Angeles won 2–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first nine meetings.
| Boston leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Statistical leaders
edit| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Sleepy Floyd | Golden State Warriors | 51 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 35.7 | 3 |
| Rebounds | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 25 | Charles Oakley | Chicago Bulls | 15.3 | 3 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 12.2 | 18 |
| Steals | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 6 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 3.0 | 5 |
| Blocks | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 8 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 4.3 | 10 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2015.