The 1988 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987–88 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. James Worthy was named NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers became the first team since the Boston Celticsin1969 to repeat as champions, a feat that coach Pat Riley guaranteed the previous offseason.
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| Tournament details | |
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| Dates | April 28–June 21, 1988 |
| Season | 1987–88 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Los Angeles Lakers (11th title) |
| Runner-up | Detroit Pistons |
| Semifinalists |
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← 1987
1989 →
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This marked the first time since 1983 that the Celtics did not represent the East in the NBA Finals, but they did win one of the most memorable games of the 1988 playoffs, beating the Hawks 118–116 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Boston Garden. Larry Bird scored 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston overcome the 47 points scored by Dominique Wilkins.[1]
The Dallas Mavericks made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals, losing in 7 to the Lakers. They would not advance that far again until 2003, and would not face the Lakers again until 2011.
The New York Knicks made the playoffs for the first time since 1984. They remained regulars until 2001, which included NBA Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999. On the other hand, the Washington Bullets did not return until 1997, and would not win a playoff game again until 2005 as the Wizards.
In the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Jordan scored 50 or more points twice—50 points in Game 1, and 55 points in Game 2—becoming the first player to do so in the same series.[2]
This was the first time in NBA history that a game other than a Finals game was played during the month of June.
Game 4 of the Hawks-Bucks series was the last game ever played at the MECCA, later known as the US Cellular Arena. The Bucks moved to the Bradley Center the next season; BMO Harris Bank purchased its naming rights in 2012. The Bucks played there for 30 seasons, moving into the Fiserv Forum for the 2018-19 season.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals was the last NBA game ever played at the Pontiac Silverdome.
This was the last NBA postseason to have back-to-backs in the conference finals (they would still occur in the conference semifinals until 2000).
These playoffs had four playoff series where the home team was undefeated in the series in a single year, an active NBA playoff record. Only 1990 has had more than two playoff series where the home team went undefeated in a single year.
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | New York | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Milwaukee | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Boston* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Chicago | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Cleveland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Chicago | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Detroit* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Utah | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Portland | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Utah | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Houston | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Denver* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Denver* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Seattle | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
April 29 |
| New York Knicks 92, Boston Celtics 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 22–27, 24–29, 17–30 | ||
| Pts: Gerald Wilkins24 Rebs: Ewing, Green 11 each Asts: Mark Jackson9 |
Pts: McHale, Bird 29 each Rebs: Robert Parish13 Asts: Dennis Johnson9 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 1 |
| New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 128 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 23–34, 24–28, 30–37 | ||
| Pts: Gerald Wilkins24 Rebs: Patrick Ewing10 Asts: Mark Jackson7 |
Pts: Larry Bird36 Rebs: Kevin McHale12 Asts: Dennis Johnson9 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 4 |
| Boston Celtics 100, New York Knicks 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 24–23, 25–28, 30–36 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale24 Rebs: Robert Parish11 Asts: Larry Bird12 |
Pts: Johnny Newman34 Rebs: Patrick Ewing10 Asts: Mark Jackson14 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
May 6 |
| Boston Celtics 102, New York Knicks94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 24–25, 19–24, 31–24 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird28 Rebs: Robert Parish12 Asts: Dennis Johnson12 |
Pts: Mark Jackson28 Rebs: Patrick Ewing20 Asts: Mark Jackson9 | |
| Boston wins series, 3–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
| Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first 11 meetings.
| Boston leads 6–5 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 28 |
| Washington Bullets 87, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 21–18, 19–29, 26–29 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Malone33 Rebs: Moses Malone13 Asts: John Williams9 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas34 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer12 Asts: Joe Dumars6 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
April 30 |
| Washington Bullets 101, Detroit Pistons 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 23–23, 36–25, 19–26 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Malone31 Rebs: Moses Malone14 Asts: Jeff Malone4 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas30 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer11 Asts: Joe Dumars5 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
May 2 |
| Detroit Pistons 106, Washington Bullets 114 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 26–23, 24–28, 23–18, Overtime: 8–16 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas29 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer8 Asts: Isiah Thomas8 |
Pts: Jeff Malone35 Rebs: Moses Malone9 Asts: Steve Colter6 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland |
May 4 |
| Detroit Pistons 103, Washington Bullets 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 21–26, 28–25, 25–28 | ||
| Pts: Dantley, Rodman 23 each Rebs: Bill Laimbeer10 Asts: Isiah Thomas10 |
Pts: Jeff Malone25 Rebs: Moses Malone8 Asts: Darrell Walker5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland |
May 8 |
| Washington Bullets 78, Detroit Pistons 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 18–23, 20–23, 18–26 | ||
| Pts: Bernard King18 Rebs: Moses Malone12 Asts: three players 3 each |
Pts: Joe Dumars20 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer11 Asts: Isiah Thomas11 | |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
| Detroit won 3–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.
| Detroit leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 28 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Chicago Bulls 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 19–30, 28–20, 17–31 | ||
| Pts: Craig Ehlo21 Rebs: Larry Nance8 Asts: Mark Price12 |
Pts: Michael Jordan50 Rebs: Charles Oakley15 Asts: John Paxson7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Chicago Bulls 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–23, 19–28, 24–28, 22–27 | ||
| Pts: Larry Nance27 Rebs: Brad Daugherty13 Asts: Larry Nance8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan55 Rebs: Charles Oakley12 Asts: Sam Vincent14 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 3 |
| Chicago Bulls 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 28–24, 24–30, 28–21 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan38 Rebs: Charles Oakley9 Asts: Michael Jordan9 |
Pts: Mark Price31 Rebs: Brad Daugherty10 Asts: Mark Price6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio |
May 5 |
| Chicago Bulls 91, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–27, 24–28, 25–21, 23–21 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan44 Rebs: Charles Oakley10 Asts: Sam Vincent5 |
Pts: Ron Harper30 Rebs: Brad Daugherty9 Asts: Mark Price7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio |
May 8 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Chicago Bulls 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–23, 21–28, 21–29, 24–27 | ||
| Pts: Mark Price25 Rebs: Brad Daugherty10 Asts: Mark Price7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan39 Rebs: Charles Oakley20 Asts: Rory Sparrow7 | |
| Chicago wins series, 3–2 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Cavaliers.[5]
April 29 |
| Milwaukee Bucks 107, Atlanta Hawks 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 32–23, 16–36, 31–26 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pressey21 Rebs: Jack Sikma12 Asts: Paul Pressey7 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins26 Rebs: Kevin Willis9 Asts: Doc Rivers6 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks 97, Atlanta Hawks 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 25–28, 22–24, 21–26 | ||
| Pts: Sidney Moncrief22 Rebs: Jack Sikma17 Asts: Paul Pressey9 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins43 Rebs: Kevin Willis10 Asts: Doc Rivers8 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 4 |
| Atlanta Hawks 115, Milwaukee Bucks 123 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 28–23, 27–35, 31–34 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins22 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins14 Asts: Randy Wittman8 |
Pts: Terry Cummings30 Rebs: Jack Sikma16 Asts: Paul Pressey6 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 | ||
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
May 6 |
| Atlanta Hawks 99, Milwaukee Bucks 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 20–28, 28–28, 24–29 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins31 Rebs: Kevin Willis8 Asts: Doc Rivers9 |
Pts: Terry Cummings30 Rebs: Jack Sikma9 Asts: Sidney Moncrief7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
May 8 |
| Milwaukee Bucks 111, Atlanta Hawks 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 25–32, 23–31, 41–32 | ||
| Pts: Terry Cummings28 Rebs: Larry Krystkowiak10 Asts: Moncrief, Pressey 6 each |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins33 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins10 Asts: Doc Rivers15 | |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–2 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
| Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 29 |
| San Antonio Spurs 110, Los Angeles Lakers 122 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 21–34, 31–30, 30–32 | ||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson34 Rebs: Anderson, Berry 8 each Asts: Robertson, Brickowski 5 each |
Pts: James Worthy22 Rebs: Mychal Thompson14 Asts: Magic Johnson18 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 1 |
| San Antonio Spurs 112, Los Angeles Lakers 130 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–25, 26–35, 23–33, 31–37 | ||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson28 Rebs: Frank Brickowski12 Asts: Alvin Robertson12 |
Pts: Mychal Thompson29 Rebs: Mychal Thompson16 Asts: Magic Johnson15 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 3 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 109, San Antonio Spurs 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 39–36, 28–29, 22–26, 20–16 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson25 Rebs: James Worthy11 Asts: Magic Johnson11 |
Pts: Frank Brickowski27 Rebs: Greg Anderson8 Asts: Alvin Robertson11 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas |
| Los Angeles won 5–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 29 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 123, Denver Nuggets 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 39–28, 28–28, 29–42 | ||
| Pts: Tom Chambers29 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel10 Asts: McDaniel, McMillan 8 each |
Pts: Alex English28 Rebs: Fat Lever11 Asts: Fat Lever8 | |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
May 1 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 111, Denver Nuggets91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 32–19, 25–23, 20–27 | ||
| Pts: Dale Ellis24 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel17 Asts: Nate McMillan6 |
Pts: English, Evans 16 each Rebs: Fat Lever12 Asts: Michael Adams5 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
May 3 |
| Denver Nuggets 124, Seattle SuperSonics 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 39–34, 24–24, 35–30, 27–26 | ||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen28 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen12 Asts: Adams, Lever 7 each |
Pts: Tom Chambers34 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel12 Asts: Nate McMillan9 | |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington |
May 5 |
| Denver Nuggets 117, Seattle SuperSonics 127 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–35, 27–30, 30–32, 24–30 | ||
| Pts: Jay Vincent28 Rebs: Danny Schayes8 Asts: English, Evans 5 each |
Pts: Xavier McDaniel27 Rebs: Derrick McKey7 Asts: Danny Young8 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington |
May 7 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 96, Denver Nuggets 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 26–37, 20–32, 28–29 | ||
| Pts: Tom Chambers23 Rebs: Alton Lister8 Asts: Xavier McDaniel5 |
Pts: Alex English23 Rebs: Jay Vincent7 Asts: Alex English7 | |
| Denver wins series, 3–2 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
| Denver won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||
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April 28 |
| Houston Rockets 110, Dallas Mavericks 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 17–32, 27–16, 37–43 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon34 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon14 Asts: Sleepy Floyd11 |
Pts: Roy Tarpley24 Rebs: Roy Tarpley9 Asts: Derek Harper8 | |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
April 30 |
| Houston Rockets 119, Dallas Mavericks 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–28, 28–34, 29–27, 30–19 | ||
| Pts: Sleepy Floyd42 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon26 Asts: Sleepy Floyd9 |
Pts: Roy Tarpley23 Rebs: Roy Tarpley13 Asts: Derek Harper8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
May 3 |
| Dallas Mavericks 93, Houston Rockets92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 28–22, 20–32, 20–15 | ||
| Pts: Roy Tarpley17 Rebs: Roy Tarpley13 Asts: Rolando Blackman7 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon35 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon12 Asts: Sleepy Floyd5 | |
| Dallas leads series, 2–1 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
May 5 |
| Dallas Mavericks 107, Houston Rockets97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–23, 32–21, 37–32, 24–21 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre38 Rebs: James Donaldson10 Asts: Rolando Blackman10 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon40 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon15 Asts: Sleepy Floyd9 | |
| Dallas wins series, 3–1 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
| Dallas won 4–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Rockets.[9]
April 28 |
| Utah Jazz 96, Portland Trail Blazers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–33, 18–27, 24–26, 24–22 | ||
| Pts: Thurl Bailey31 Rebs: Karl Malone13 Asts: John Stockton9 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler26 Rebs: Clyde Drexler13 Asts: Terry Porter12 | |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
April 30 |
| Utah Jazz 114, Portland Trail Blazers 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–23, 22–30, 21–20, 35–32 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone37 Rebs: Karl Malone16 Asts: John Stockton13 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler25 Rebs: Maurice Lucas14 Asts: Terry Porter7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 4 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 108, Utah Jazz 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 24–24, 34–32, 33–32 | ||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey23 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth16 Asts: Drexler, Porter 4 each |
Pts: Karl Malone35 Rebs: Karl Malone9 Asts: John Stockton16 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 6 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 96, Utah Jazz 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 31–26, 27–31, 16–29 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Duckworth33 Rebs: Kersey, Duckworth 10 each Asts: Clyde Drexler6 |
Pts: Karl Malone38 Rebs: Mark Eaton11 Asts: John Stockton10 | |
| Utah wins series, 3–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Utah won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz.[10]
May 11 |
| Atlanta Hawks 101, Boston Celtics 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–38, 25–16, 20–28, 33–28 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins25 Rebs: Doc Rivers9 Asts: three players 5 each |
Pts: Larry Bird38 Rebs: Robert Parish14 Asts: Danny Ainge12 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 13 |
| Atlanta Hawks 97, Boston Celtics 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 9–25, 30–20, 32–30, 26–33 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins22 Rebs: Tree Rollins9 Asts: Doc Rivers6 |
Pts: Kevin McHale32 Rebs: Robert Parish14 Asts: Dennis Johnson9 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 15 |
| Boston Celtics 92, Atlanta Hawks 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 23–28, 23–30, 24–28 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird22 Rebs: Robert Parish13 Asts: Larry Bird8 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins25 Rebs: Kevin Willis13 Asts: Spud Webb13 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 16 |
| Boston Celtics 109, Atlanta Hawks 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 38–32, 21–34, 24–29, 26–23 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird30 Rebs: Kevin McHale12 Asts: Dennis Johnson10 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins40 Rebs: Tree Rollins12 Asts: Doc Rivers22 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 18 |
| Atlanta Hawks 112, Boston Celtics 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 20–24, 26–29, 43–27 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Willis27 Rebs: Kevin Willis14 Asts: Doc Rivers7 |
Pts: Robert Parish24 Rebs: Robert Parish13 Asts: Dennis Johnson10 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 3–2 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 20 |
| Boston Celtics 102, Atlanta Hawks 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 26–27, 25–21, 19–22 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale26 Rebs: Larry Bird11 Asts: Danny Ainge14 |
Pts: Dominique Wilkins35 Rebs: Willis, Rollins 11 each Asts: Spud Webb7 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 22 |
| Atlanta Hawks 116, Boston Celtics 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 28–31, 24–25, 34–34 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins47 Rebs: Kevin Willis11 Asts: Doc Rivers18 |
Pts: Larry Bird34 Rebs: Kevin McHale13 Asts: Danny Ainge10 | |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Boston won 4–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning seven of the first eight meetings.
| Boston leads 7–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 10 |
| Chicago Bulls 82, Detroit Pistons 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 24–25, 20–19, 16–18 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Charles Oakley13 Asts: Michael Jordan6 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley23 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer14 Asts: Isiah Thomas8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
May 12 |
| Chicago Bulls 105, Detroit Pistons95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 30–20, 26–22, 24–33 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan36 Rebs: Charles Oakley12 Asts: Vincent, Pippen 5 each |
Pts: Isiah Thomas25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer14 Asts: Isiah Thomas13 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
May 14 |
| Detroit Pistons 101, Chicago Bulls79 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 25–23, 21–20, 28–21 | ||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson23 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer10 Asts: Isiah Thomas11 |
Pts: Michael Jordan24 Rebs: Charles Oakley12 Asts: Sam Vincent6 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 15 |
| Detroit Pistons 96, Chicago Bulls77 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 21–15, 25–21, 25–22 | ||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer13 Asts: Isiah Thomas11 |
Pts: Michael Jordan23 Rebs: Charles Oakley10 Asts: Michael Jordan5 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 18 |
| Chicago Bulls 95, Detroit Pistons 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 22–23, 23–20, 24–29 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan25 Rebs: Charles Oakley15 Asts: Jordan, Paxson 8 each |
Pts: Isiah Thomas25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer13 Asts: Isiah Thomas9 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
| Detroit won 4–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.
| Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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May 8 |
| Utah Jazz 91, Los Angeles Lakers 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 8–24, 23–31, 31–30, 29–25 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone29 Rebs: Thurl Bailey8 Asts: John Stockton16 |
Pts: James Worthy23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar10 Asts: Magic Johnson9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 10 |
| Utah Jazz 101, Los Angeles Lakers97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 30–21, 20–23, 27–31 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone29 Rebs: Mark Eaton12 Asts: John Stockton13 |
Pts: Byron Scott26 Rebs: Mychal Thompson12 Asts: Magic Johnson10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 13 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 89, Utah Jazz 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 19–25, 27–25, 20–15 | ||
| Pts: Byron Scott29 Rebs: Mychal Thompson12 Asts: Magic Johnson6 |
Pts: Karl Malone29 Rebs: Mark Eaton14 Asts: John Stockton12 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 15 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 113, Utah Jazz 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 24–23, 31–22, 29–24 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar11 Asts: Magic Johnson9 |
Pts: Karl Malone29 Rebs: Karl Malone11 Asts: John Stockton13 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 17 |
| Utah Jazz 109, Los Angeles Lakers 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–37, 27–22, 19–27, 31–25 | ||
| Pts: Thurl Bailey28 Rebs: Karl Malone16 Asts: John Stockton24 |
Pts: James Worthy27 Rebs: Mychal Thompson11 Asts: Magic Johnson13 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 19 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 80, Utah Jazz 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–31, 29–25, 18–25, 20–27 | ||
| Pts: Byron Scott16 Rebs: Mychal Thompson9 Asts: Magic Johnson9 |
Pts: Karl Malone27 Rebs: Karl Malone11 Asts: John Stockton17 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 21 |
| Utah Jazz 98, Los Angeles Lakers 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 24–25, 24–30, 23–22 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone31 Rebs: Karl Malone15 Asts: John Stockton20 |
Pts: Byron Scott29 Rebs: Magic Johnson9 Asts: Magic Johnson16 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Jazz.[13]
May 10 |
| Dallas Mavericks 115, Denver Nuggets 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–34, 15–25, 28–35, 40–32 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre26 Rebs: James Donaldson13 Asts: Derek Harper5 |
Pts: Fat Lever30 Rebs: Fat Lever11 Asts: Lever, English 8 each | |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
May 12 |
| Dallas Mavericks 112, Denver Nuggets 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 22–18, 30–23, 32–34 | ||
| Pts: Rolando Blackman31 Rebs: James Donaldson13 Asts: Derek Harper8 |
Pts: Lever, English 22 each Rebs: Danny Schayes12 Asts: Michael Adams7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
May 14 |
| Denver Nuggets 107, Dallas Mavericks 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 29–30, 25–26, 29–18 | ||
| Pts: Alex English23 Rebs: Fat Lever11 Asts: Fat Lever12 |
Pts: Sam Perkins17 Rebs: Roy Tarpley15 Asts: Mark Aguirre6 | |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
May 15 |
| Denver Nuggets 103, Dallas Mavericks 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 24–34, 23–32, 32–29 | ||
| Pts: Alex English24 Rebs: Wayne Cooper10 Asts: Michael Adams9 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre34 Rebs: Roy Tarpley13 Asts: Derek Harper10 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
May 17 |
| Dallas Mavericks 110, Denver Nuggets 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 30–28, 23–27, 32–28 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre25 Rebs: Roy Tarpley16 Asts: Derek Harper6 |
Pts: Danny Schayes33 Rebs: Danny Schayes13 Asts: Adams, English 6 each | |
| Dallas leads series, 3–2 | ||
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado |
May 19 |
| Denver Nuggets 95, Dallas Mavericks 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 26–33, 27–24, 15–26 | ||
| Pts: Alex English34 Rebs: Danny Schayes9 Asts: Michael Adams8 |
Pts: Perkins, Blackman 23 each Rebs: Roy Tarpley19 Asts: Derek Harper9 | |
| Dallas wins series, 4–2 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Nuggets.[14]
May 25 |
| Detroit Pistons 104, Boston Celtics96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 22–25, 23–20, 29–23 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas35 Rebs: Rick Mahorn10 Asts: Isiah Thomas12 |
Pts: Kevin McHale31 Rebs: Robert Parish13 Asts: Dennis Johnson10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 26 |
| Detroit Pistons 115, Boston Celtics 119 (2OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 17–25, 32–28, 24–21, Overtime: 7–7, 6–10 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas24 Rebs: John Salley12 Asts: Isiah Thomas11 |
Pts: Robert Parish26 Rebs: Larry Bird12 Asts: Dennis Johnson10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 28 |
| Boston Celtics 94, Detroit Pistons 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 21–29, 21–26, 23–14 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale32 Rebs: Larry Bird11 Asts: Larry Bird8 |
Pts: Joe Dumars29 Rebs: John Salley9 Asts: Isiah Thomas6 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
May 30 |
| Boston Celtics 79, Detroit Pistons78 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–10, 30–26, 14–32, 19–10 | ||
| Pts: Larry Bird20 Rebs: Larry Bird10 Asts: D. Johnson, Bird 6 each |
Pts: Bill Laimbeer29 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Isiah Thomas7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
June 1 |
| Detroit Pistons 102, Boston Celtics 96 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 14–25, 25–16, 27–22, Overtime: 10–4 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas35 Rebs: John Salley9 Asts: Dumars, Thomas 5 each |
Pts: Larry Bird27 Rebs: Larry Bird17 Asts: Dennis Johnson8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
June 3 |
| Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–21, 21–27, 17–27, 27–20 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale33 Rebs: Larry Bird14 Asts: Dennis Johnson9 |
Pts: Vinnie Johnson24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer9 Asts: Isiah Thomas9 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–2 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
| Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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May 23 |
| Dallas Mavericks 98, Los Angeles Lakers 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 21–19, 20–28, 29–33 | ||
| Pts: three players 18 each Rebs: Roy Tarpley20 Asts: Derek Harper7 |
Pts: James Worthy28 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: Magic Johnson12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 25 |
| Dallas Mavericks 101, Los Angeles Lakers 123 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–32, 18–27, 22–30, 31–34 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley13 Asts: Derek Harper8 |
Pts: Byron Scott30 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar7 Asts: Magic Johnson19 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 27 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 94, Dallas Mavericks 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 26–26, 25–23, 18–31 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy19 Rebs: Magic Johnson8 Asts: Magic Johnson10 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre23 Rebs: Roy Tarpley20 Asts: Brad Davis6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
May 29 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 104, Dallas Mavericks 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 32–33, 26–33, 21–29 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson28 Rebs: A.C. Green12 Asts: Magic Johnson12 |
Pts: Derek Harper35 Rebs: Roy Tarpley13 Asts: Rolando Blackman11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
May 31 |
| Dallas Mavericks 102, Los Angeles Lakers 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–33, 20–31, 24–28, 31–27 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre31 Rebs: Roy Tarpley11 Asts: Derek Harper6 |
Pts: James Worthy28 Rebs: A.C. Green10 Asts: Magic Johnson20 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 103, Dallas Mavericks 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 24–28, 30–29, 23–23 | ||
| Pts: Worthy, Scott27 Rebs: James Worthy11 Asts: Magic Johnson12 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre23 Rebs: Mark Aguirre13 Asts: Derek Harper10 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas |
June 4 |
| Dallas Mavericks 102, Los Angeles Lakers 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 24–25, 26–33, 23–30 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre24 Rebs: James Donaldson14 Asts: Derek Harper11 |
Pts: James Worthy28 Rebs: Magic Johnson9 Asts: Magic Johnson11 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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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 | ||||||||||||
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June 7 |
| Detroit Pistons 105, Los Angeles Lakers93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 35–19, 23–28, 25–25 | ||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley34 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer7 Asts: Isiah Thomas12 |
Pts: Magic Johnson28 Rebs: A.C. Green12 Asts: Magic Johnson10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 9 |
| Detroit Pistons 96, Los Angeles Lakers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 19–24, 30–27, 27–32 | ||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley19 Rebs: Laimbeer, Mahorn 9 each Asts: Thomas, Dumars 7 each |
Pts: James Worthy26 Rebs: A.C. Green13 Asts: Magic Johnson11 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 12 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 99, Detroit Pistons86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 24–25, 31–18, 21–22 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy24 Rebs: James Worthy9 Asts: Magic Johnson14 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Isiah Thomas9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
June 14 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 86, Detroit Pistons 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 22–26, 14–25, 21–28 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson23 Rebs: A.C. Green10 Asts: Magic Johnson6 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley27 Rebs: Isiah Thomas9 Asts: Isiah Thomas12 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
June 16 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 94, Detroit Pistons 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 20–32, 25–22, 19–23 | ||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar26 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: Magic Johnson17 |
Pts: Adrian Dantley25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer11 Asts: Isiah Thomas8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 | ||
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan |
June 19 |
| Detroit Pistons 102, Los Angeles Lakers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 20–33, 35–26, 21–24 | ||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas43 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer9 Asts: Joe Dumars10 |
Pts: James Worthy28 Rebs: A.C. Green10 Asts: Magic Johnson19 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 21 |
| Detroit Pistons 105, Los Angeles Lakers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 29–26, 21–36, 32–25 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars25 Rebs: John Salley10 Asts: Isiah Thomas7 |
Pts: James Worthy36 Rebs: James Worthy16 Asts: Magic Johnson14 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Los Angeles won 2–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first nine meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 55 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 37.5 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 26 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 16.8 | 4 |
| Assists | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 24 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 14.8 | 11 |
| Steals | Michael Jordan Isiah Thomas Horace Grant Ron Harper Patrick Ewing Clyde Drexler Alvin Robertson |
Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers New York Knicks Portland Trail Blazers San Antonio Spurs |
6 | Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | 4.0 | 3 |
| Blocks | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 7 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | 3.3 | 3 |