The 1991 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP.
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| Tournament details | |
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| Dates | April 25–June 12, 1991 |
| Season | 1990–91 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Chicago Bulls (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Semifinalists |
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← 1990
1992 →
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The Lakers reached the Finals despite not being the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 1981, and for just the second time since drafting Magic Johnson first overall in 1979.
After the Pistons had ended their season the last three years, the Bulls got revenge in the Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the two-time defending NBA champions. It was the first time the Bulls won a playoff series over the Pistons since 1974, when both teams were still part of the Western Conference. Game 4 ended with some of the Pistons walking off the court before time expired, refusing to shake the Bulls' hands. The Pistons were vilified for this, however it was later revealed that the Pistons refused to shake hands with the Bulls because of comments said by Michael Jordan in a pre-game interview before the start of Game 4.[1] In the 1989 NBA Finals, the Pistons themselves had swept the two-time defending champion Lakers. Detroit did not reach the conference finals again until 2003.
The seventh seeded Golden State Warriors stunned the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, defeating them 3 games to 1. It would be Golden State's last playoff series win until 2007.
The 76ers and the Bucks met in the first round of the playoffs where the 76ers swept the series. It would be both teams last playoff appearance until 1999.
Game 4 of the Blazers–Jazz series was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace.
The Spectrum hosted its final NBA playoff game in Game 4 of the Bulls–76ers series. When the 76ers returned to the playoffs in 1999, they had moved to the CoreStates Center, their home since the 1996–97 season.
This was the first year that NBC aired the NBA Playoffs.
| First round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | New York | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Philadelphia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Milwaukee | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Philadelphia | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Atlanta | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Boston* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Boston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Indiana | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Portland* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Seattle | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Portland* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Utah | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Phoenix | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Utah | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Portland* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Houston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Golden State | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Golden State | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
April 25 |
| New York Knicks 85, Chicago Bulls 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 17–36, 21–28, 28–33 | ||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe19 Rebs: Charles Oakley11 Asts: Maurice Cheeks7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan28 Rebs: Horace Grant8 Asts: B. J. Armstrong10 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
April 28 |
| New York Knicks 79, Chicago Bulls 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 18–15, 19–19, 16–28 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing24 Rebs: Ewing, Oakley 10 each Asts: Trent Tucker3 |
Pts: Michael Jordan26 Rebs: Scottie Pippen8 Asts: Scottie Pippen7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
April 30 |
| Chicago Bulls 103, New York Knicks94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 28–23, 30–17, 20–23 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan33 Rebs: Scottie Pippen11 Asts: Michael Jordan7 |
Pts: Ewing, VanDeWeghe 20 each Rebs: Patrick Ewing14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks7 | |
| Chicago wins series, 3–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
| Chicago won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first two meetings.
| Chicago leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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April 26 |
| Indiana Pacers 120, Boston Celtics 127 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–36, 31–25, 34–31, 30–35 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Miller24 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf10 Asts: Chuck Person7 |
Pts: Reggie Lewis28 Rebs: Larry Bird12 Asts: Larry Bird12 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 28 |
| Indiana Pacers 130, Boston Celtics 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–36, 32–25, 31–28, 35–29 | ||
| Pts: Chuck Person39 Rebs: Dreiling, Schrempf 7 each Asts: Micheal Williams10 |
Pts: Lewis, Shaw 22 each Rebs: Robert Parish1 Asts: Larry Bird10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 1 |
| Boston Celtics 112, Indiana Pacers 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 31–24, 18–24, 34–36 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale22 Rebs: Larry Bird9 Asts: Brian Shaw7 |
Pts: Miller, Schrempf 20 each Rebs: Detlef Schrempf10 Asts: Micheal Williams7 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana |
May 3 |
| Boston Celtics 113, Indiana Pacers 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–36, 33–28, 26–24, 18–28 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale24 Rebs: Robert Parish12 Asts: Larry Bird8 |
Pts: Chuck Person30 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson7 Asts: Micheal Williams9 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana |
May 5 |
| Indiana Pacers 121, Boston Celtics 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–35, 33–23, 33–42, 30–24 | ||
| Pts: Chuck Person32 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson9 Asts: Micheal Williams10 |
Pts: Larry Bird32 Rebs: Larry Bird9 Asts: Brian Shaw9 | |
| Boston wins series, 3–2 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Pacers.[3]
April 26 |
| Atlanta Hawks 103, Detroit Pistons98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 28–25, 26–19, 23–28 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins32 Rebs: Kevin Willis8 Asts: Webb, Battle 3 each |
Pts: Joe Dumars20 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 11 each Asts: Isiah Thomas14 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
April 28 |
| Atlanta Hawks 88, Detroit Pistons 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 18–25, 29–29, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins20 Rebs: Kevin Willis9 Asts: Dominique Wilkins5 |
Pts: Joe Dumars28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman16 Asts: Isiah Thomas8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
April 30 |
| Detroit Pistons 103, Atlanta Hawks91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–30, 29–26, 32–15, 27–20 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars30 Rebs: Dennis Rodman13 Asts: Isiah Thomas13 |
Pts: Kevin Willis24 Rebs: Kevin Willis10 Asts: Spud Webb9 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 2 |
| Detroit Pistons 111, Atlanta Hawks 123 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 37–33, 21–27, 31–38 | ||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson26 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Isiah Thomas12 |
Pts: Doc Rivers34 Rebs: Wilkins, Malone 11 each Asts: Spud Webb7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 5 |
| Atlanta Hawks 81, Detroit Pistons 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 21–24, 16–31, 23–23 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Willis13 Rebs: Kevin Willis13 Asts: Jon Koncak4 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas26 Rebs: Dennis Rodman20 Asts: Isiah Thomas11 | |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Detroit won 5–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning three of the first five meetings.
| Atlanta leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 99, Milwaukee Bucks90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 29–20, 25–23, 21–26 | ||
| Pts: Hersey Hawkins25 Rebs: Barkley, Mahorn 8 each Asts: Charles Barkley5 |
Pts: Frank Brickowski22 Rebs: Frank Brickowski9 Asts: Jay Humphries9 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 | ||
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
April 27 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 116, Milwaukee Bucks 112 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 20–28, 24–25, 28–25, Overtime: 14–10 | ||
| Pts: Ron Anderson24 Rebs: Charles Barkley13 Asts: Charles Barkley10 |
Pts: Alvin Robertson31 Rebs: Frank Brickowski12 Asts: Jay Humphries8 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 | ||
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
April 30 |
| Milwaukee Bucks 100, Philadelphia 76ers 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 15–25, 30–27, 31–39 | ||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson26 Rebs: Robertson, Brickowski 5 each Asts: Jay Humphries8 |
Pts: Charles Barkley30 Rebs: Charles Barkley12 Asts: Hawkins, Barkley 6 each | |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–0 | ||
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first seven meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 26 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 102, Portland Trail Blazers 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 20–19, 29–28, 30–32 | ||
| Pts: Eddie Johnson33 Rebs: Benoit Benjamin9 Asts: Gary Payton8 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler39 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth13 Asts: Clyde Drexler9 | |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
April 28 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 106, Portland Trail Blazers 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 25–24, 26–26, 31–36 | ||
| Pts: Eddie Johnson28 Rebs: Kemp, Cage 11 each Asts: Payton, McMillan 6 each |
Pts: Clyde Drexler22 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth10 Asts: Clyde Drexler10 | |
| Portland leads series, 2–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
April 30 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 99, Seattle SuperSonics 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 21–29, 32–25, 22–23 | ||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler23 Rebs: Buck Williams11 Asts: Clyde Drexler11 |
Pts: Sedale Threatt29 Rebs: Shawn Kemp9 Asts: Nate McMillan6 | |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington |
May 2 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 89, Seattle SuperSonics 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 17–23, 28–24, 17–25 | ||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey20 Rebs: Williams, Robinson 9 each Asts: Jerome Kersey5 |
Pts: Eddie Johnson34 Rebs: Benjamin, McKey 9 each Asts: Gary Payton7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington |
May 4 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 107, Portland Trail Blazers 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 18–33, 25–27, 39–29 | ||
| Pts: Kemp, Johnson 17 each Rebs: Benoit Benjamin6 Asts: Gary Payton7 |
Pts: Terry Porter23 Rebs: Buck Williams12 Asts: Terry Porter11 | |
| Portland wins series, 3–2 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
| Portland won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| Golden State Warriors 121, San Antonio Spurs 130 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 23–33, 19–36, 49–37 | ||
| Pts: Mullin, Richmond 29 each Rebs: Chris Mullin8 Asts: Tim Hardaway8 |
Pts: Willie Anderson38 Rebs: David Robinson13 Asts: Rod Strickland13 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas |
April 27 |
| Golden State Warriors 111, San Antonio Spurs98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 28–21, 29–20, 27–31 | ||
| Pts: Chris Mullin27 Rebs: Chris Mullin7 Asts: Tim Hardaway9 |
Pts: David Robinson28 Rebs: David Robinson15 Asts: Rod Strickland7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas |
May 1 |
| San Antonio Spurs 106, Golden State Warriors 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 28–31, 25–20, 22–24 | ||
| Pts: David Robinson27 Rebs: David Robinson12 Asts: Rod Strickland7 |
Pts: Mitch Richmond27 Rebs: Tim Hardaway8 Asts: Tim Hardaway11 | |
| Golden State leads series, 2–1 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California |
May 3 |
| San Antonio Spurs 97, Golden State Warriors 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 27–37, 18–20, 24–28 | ||
| Pts: Sean Elliott23 Rebs: David Robinson14 Asts: Rod Strickland8 |
Pts: Tim Hardaway32 Rebs: Mitch Richmond11 Asts: Tim Hardaway9 | |
| Golden State wins series, 3–1 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Warriors and the Spurs.[7]
April 25 |
| Houston Rockets 92, Los Angeles Lakers 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 32–26, 16–20, 26–23 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon22 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon16 Asts: Maxwell, K. Smith 5 each |
Pts: Byron Scott20 Rebs: Vlade Divac11 Asts: Magic Johnson10 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
April 27 |
| Houston Rockets 98, Los Angeles Lakers 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–23, 25–25, 29–26, 28–35 | ||
| Pts: Vernon Maxwell31 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon11 Asts: Kenny Smith7 |
Pts: James Worthy29 Rebs: Vlade Divac10 Asts: Magic Johnson21 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
April 30 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 94, Houston Rockets90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 16–22, 27–19, 28–25 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson38 Rebs: Sam Perkins13 Asts: Magic Johnson7 |
Pts: Thorpe, Olajuwon 21 each Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon17 Asts: Kenny Smith12 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning two of the first three meetings.
| Houston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| Utah Jazz 129, Phoenix Suns90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 27–22, 44–26, 32–24 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone27 Rebs: Karl Malone10 Asts: John Stockton15 |
Pts: Negele Knight18 Rebs: Jeff Hornacek5 Asts: Kevin Johnson6 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona |
April 27 |
| Utah Jazz 92, Phoenix Suns 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 18–17, 19–26, 32–36 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Malone23 Rebs: Karl Malone14 Asts: John Stockton11 |
Pts: Jeff Hornacek25 Rebs: Andrew Lang8 Asts: Kevin Johnson12 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona |
April 30 |
| Phoenix Suns 98, Utah Jazz 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 20–32, 26–23, 25–33 | ||
| Pts: Tom Chambers26 Rebs: Jeff Hornacek10 Asts: Kevin Johnson10 |
Pts: Karl Malone32 Rebs: Mike Brown11 Asts: John Stockton12 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 2 |
| Phoenix Suns 93, Utah Jazz 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 23–24, 18–24, 27–34 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Hornacek30 Rebs: Tom Chambers7 Asts: Kevin Johnson11 |
Pts: Karl Malone38 Rebs: Karl Malone13 Asts: John Stockton13 | |
| Utah wins series, 3–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first two meetings.
| Phoenix leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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May 4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 92, Chicago Bulls 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–34, 22–25, 21–24, 29–22 | ||
| Pts: Charles Barkley34 Rebs: Charles Barkley11 Asts: Hawkins, Anderson 3 each |
Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Horace Grant9 Asts: Scottie Pippen7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 6 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 100, Chicago Bulls 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–33, 20–29, 20–22, 27–28 | ||
| Pts: Hersey Hawkins30 Rebs: Charles Barkley9 Asts: Hersey Hawkins7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen11 Asts: Michael Jordan9 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 10 |
| Chicago Bulls 97, Philadelphia 76ers 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 25–21, 25–28, 21–24 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan46 Rebs: Scottie Pippen13 Asts: Pippen, Jordan 6 each |
Pts: Hersey Hawkins29 Rebs: Armen Gilliam11 Asts: Barkley, Turner 7 each | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 12 |
| Chicago Bulls 101, Philadelphia 76ers85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 26–18, 21–19, 28–28 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan25 Rebs: Horace Grant11 Asts: Michael Jordan12 |
Pts: Charles Barkley25 Rebs: Charles Barkley14 Asts: Charles Barkley6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 14 |
| Philadelphia 76ers 95, Chicago Bulls 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 22–28, 20–23, 24–19 | ||
| Pts: Charles Barkley30 Rebs: Charles Barkley8 Asts: Charles Barkley7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan38 Rebs: Michael Jordan19 Asts: Michael Jordan7 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
| Philadelphia won 3–1 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 7 |
| Detroit Pistons 86, Boston Celtics75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 16–15, 24–16, 22–22 | ||
| Pts: James Edwards18 Rebs: Dennis Rodman16 Asts: Isiah Thomas13 |
Pts: Reggie Lewis20 Rebs: Kevin McHale10 Asts: Brian Shaw5 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 9 |
| Detroit Pistons 103, Boston Celtics 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 27–24, 22–21, 33–38 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars29 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer15 Asts: Joe Dumars6 |
Pts: Reggie Lewis23 Rebs: Robert Parish13 Asts: Dee Brown8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 11 |
| Boston Celtics 115, Detroit Pistons83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 27–22, 36–31, 25–21 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Lewis21 Rebs: Robert Parish11 Asts: Brown, McHale 6 each |
Pts: James Edwards13 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 12 each Asts: Vinnie Johnson5 | |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
May 13 |
| Boston Celtics 97, Detroit Pistons 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 25–22, 23–29, 21–22 | ||
| Pts: Reggie Lewis20 Rebs: Robert Parish10 Asts: Brian Shaw6 |
Pts: Mark Aguirre34 Rebs: Dennis Rodman18 Asts: Joe Dumars8 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
May 15 |
| Detroit Pistons 116, Boston Celtics 111 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 33–24, 23–20, 28–36 | ||
| Pts: Joe Dumars32 Rebs: Dennis Rodman10 Asts: Joe Dumars8 |
Pts: Reggie Lewis30 Rebs: Reggie Lewis11 Asts: Dee Brown10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 | ||
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 17 |
| Boston Celtics 113, Detroit Pistons 117 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 27–27, 25–26, 30–23, Overtime: 8–12 | ||
| Pts: Kevin McHale34 Rebs: Ed Pinckney9 Asts: Reggie Lewis |
Pts: Joe Dumars32 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer14 Asts: Joe Dumars10 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–2 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first five meetings.
| Boston leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 7 |
| Utah Jazz 97, Portland Trail Blazers 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 28–28, 16–24, 28–35 | ||
| Pts: John Stockton23 Rebs: Karl Malone16 Asts: John Stockton16 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler20 Rebs: Clyde Drexler15 Asts: Terry Porter9 | |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 9 |
| Utah Jazz 116, Portland Trail Blazers 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 16–24, 30–35, 45–31 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone40 Rebs: Karl Malone16 Asts: John Stockton12 |
Pts: Jerome Kersey34 Rebs: Jerome Kersey6 Asts: Clyde Drexler15 | |
| Portland leads series, 2–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 11 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 101, Utah Jazz 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 18–21, 19–28, 36–30 | ||
| Pts: Terry Porter28 Rebs: Drexler, Kersey 10 each Asts: Clyde Drexler7 |
Pts: Karl Malone30 Rebs: Karl Malone21 Asts: John Stockton15 | |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 12 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 104, Utah Jazz 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 31–22, 25–24, 22–33 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Duckworth30 Rebs: Duckworth, Drexler 11 each Asts: Clyde Drexler10 |
Pts: Karl Malone31 Rebs: Karl Malone12 Asts: John Stockton16 | |
| Portland leads series, 3–1 | ||
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 14 |
| Utah Jazz 96, Portland Trail Blazers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 28–31, 16–27, 28–25 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone26 Rebs: K. Malone, Eaton 8 each Asts: John Stockton14 |
Pts: Drexler, Porter 22 each Rebs: Buck Williams12 Asts: Clyde Drexler8 | |
| Portland wins series, 4–1 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
| Portland won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
| Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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May 5 |
| Golden State Warriors 116, Los Angeles Lakers 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–35, 26–25, 32–36, 33–30 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway33 Rebs: Alton Lister8 Asts: Hardaway, Marciulionis 9 each |
Pts: Byron Scott27 Rebs: Magic Johnson10 Asts: Magic Johnson17 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 8 |
| Golden State Warriors 125, Los Angeles Lakers 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–32, 23–35, 41–30, 26–27 | ||
| Pts: Chris Mullin41 Rebs: Jim Petersen7 Asts: Tim Hardaway14 |
Pts: Magic Johnson44 Rebs: Magic Johnson12 Asts: Magic Johnson9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 10 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 115, Golden State Warriors 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–24, 22–26, 24–28, 34–34 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy36 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson15 |
Pts: Richmond, Hardaway 24 each Rebs: Chris Mullin11 Asts: Tim Hardaway12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
May 12 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 123, Golden State Warriors 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–26, 27–30, 28–27, 34–24 | ||
| Pts: Sam Perkins27 Rebs: Byron Scott11 Asts: Magic Johnson11 |
Pts: Mitch Richmond26 Rebs: Richmond, Mullin 6 each Asts: Tim Hardaway9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California |
May 14 |
| Golden State Warriors 119, Los Angeles Lakers 124 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 26–27, 31–29, 24–33, Overtime: 11–16 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway27 Rebs: Mullin, Lister 8 each Asts: Tim Hardaway20 |
Pts: Magic Johnson28 Rebs: Magic Johnson14 Asts: Sam Perkins15 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Los Angeles won 3–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first six meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 19 |
| Detroit Pistons 83, Chicago Bulls 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 24–21, 28–23, 18–26 | ||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre25 Rebs: Dennis Rodman9 Asts: Isiah Thomas8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan22 Rebs: Horace Grant10 Asts: three players 6 each | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 21 |
| Detroit Pistons 97, Chicago Bulls 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 19–22, 20–27, 36–29 | ||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson29 Rebs: Dennis Rodman11 Asts: Dumars, Thomas 5 each |
Pts: Michael Jordan35 Rebs: Scottie Pippen10 Asts: Michael Jordan7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
May 25 |
| Chicago Bulls 113, Detroit Pistons 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 27–27, 31–31, 31–33 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan33 Rebs: Scottie Pippen10 Asts: Michael Jordan7 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas29 Rebs: four players 7 each Asts: Isiah Thomas6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
May 27 |
| Chicago Bulls 115, Detroit Pistons94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 25–24, 30–20, 28–24 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Horace Grant9 Asts: Scottie Pippen10 |
Pts: Isiah Thomas16 Rebs: Thomas, Johnson 7 each Asts: Isiah Thomas5 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Chicago won 3–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning three of the first four meetings.
| Detroit leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 18 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 111, Portland Trail Blazers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–27, 22–35, 25–30, 31–14 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy28 Rebs: Sam Perkins15 Asts: Magic Johnson21 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler28 Rebs: Buck Williams10 Asts: Clyde Drexler12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 21 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 98, Portland Trail Blazers 109 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 29–24, 25–25, 21–28 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy21 Rebs: Sam Perkins10 Asts: Magic Johnson12 |
Pts: Terry Porter26 Rebs: Buck Williams11 Asts: Terry Porter8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 24 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 92, Los Angeles Lakers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 18–16, 19–27, 33–36 | ||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey19 Rebs: Buck Williams11 Asts: Terry Porter7 |
Pts: James Worthy25 Rebs: Perkins, Green 9 each Asts: Magic Johnson19 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 26 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 95, Los Angeles Lakers 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 19–30, 29–31, 24–23 | ||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey25 Rebs: Drexler, Williams 8 each Asts: Terry Porter10 |
Pts: Magic Johnson22 Rebs: Magic Johnson9 Asts: Magic Johnson9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
May 28 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 84, Portland Trail Blazers 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 25–24, 18–28, 16–20 | ||
| Pts: Magic Johnson29 Rebs: A.C. Green9 Asts: Magic Johnson7 |
Pts: Jerome Kersey20 Rebs: Buck Williams16 Asts: Clyde Drexler7 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon |
May 30 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 90, Los Angeles Lakers 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 26–22, 22–20, 25–21 | ||
| Pts: Terry Porter24 Rebs: Clyde Drexler8 Asts: Clyde Drexler6 |
Pts: Sam Perkins26 Rebs: Magic Johnson11 Asts: Magic Johnson8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Portland won 3–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first four meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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June 2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 93, Chicago Bulls91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 22–23, 24–15, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Perkins, Worthy 22 each Rebs: Vlade Divac14 Asts: Magic Johnson11 |
Pts: Michael Jordan36 Rebs: Horace Grant10 Asts: Michael Jordan12 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
June 5 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 86, Chicago Bulls 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 20–20, 26–38, 17–21 | ||
| Pts: James Worthy24 Rebs: Green, Johnson 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson10 |
Pts: Michael Jordan33 Rebs: Jordan, Perdue 7 each Asts: Michael Jordan13 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois |
June 7 |
| Chicago Bulls 104, Los Angeles Lakers 96 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–22, 18–25, 26–20, Overtime: 12–4 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen13 Asts: Michael Jordan9 |
Pts: Sam Perkins25 Rebs: Sam Perkins9 Asts: Magic Johnson10 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 9 |
| Chicago Bulls 97, Los Angeles Lakers82 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 25–16, 22–14, 23–24 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan28 Rebs: Scottie Pippen9 Asts: Michael Jordan13 |
Pts: Vlade Divac27 Rebs: Vlade Divac11 Asts: Magic Johnson11 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
June 12 |
| Chicago Bulls 108, Los Angeles Lakers 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 21–24, 32–31, 28–21 | ||
| Pts: Scottie Pippen32 Rebs: Scottie Pippen13 Asts: Michael Jordan10 |
Pts: Sam Perkins22 Rebs: Magic Johnson11 Asts: Magic Johnson20 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 4–0 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 | 46 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 31.1 | 17 |
| Rebounds | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | 21 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 14.7 | 3 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 21 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 13.8 | 9 |
| Steals | Tim Hardaway | Golden State Warriors | 8 | Tim Hardaway | Golden State Warriors | 3.1 | 9 |
| Blocks | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 8 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 3.8 | 4 |
isiah thomas walk off bulls.