BasketBall NBA Finals
1. 1947 Woosh 2. 1948 blowby 3. 1949 lancet 4. 1950 launch 5. 1951 rocking 6. 1952 lurking 7. 1953 lanky 8. 1954 laxness 9.
1955 nipping 10. 1956 wispy 11. 1957 cowherd 12. 1958 hiccup 13. 1959 call 14. 1960 Calhoun 15. 1961 cushy 16. 1962
carload 17. 1963 cycler 18. 1964 crowd 19. 1965 crowd 20. 1966 chiller 21. 1967 slowed 22. 1968 curled 23. 1969 coiling 24.
1970 killing 25. 1971 bomb 26. 1972 lanky 27. 1973 keels 28.1974 cutback 29.1975 womb 30.1976 clasps 31. 1977 tussle 32.
1978 blasted 33. 1979 sumba 34.1980 loosed 35.1981 cherub 36. 1982 looses 37. 1983 sail 38. 1984 callboy 39. 1985 lancer 40.
1986 course 41. 1987 lanced 42. 1988 limping 43. 1989 pill 44. 1990 pouty 45. 1991 bully 46. 1992 bitter 47. 1993 boasts 48.
1994 rockets 49. 1995 roam 50. 1996 bossed 51. 1997 banjos 52. 1998 banjos 53. 1999 spike 54. 2000 lapped 55. 2001 lasso 56.
2002 lion 57. 2003 scenes 58. 2004 polls 59. 2005 snapped 60. 2006 hammer 61. 2007 slap 62. 2008 callus 63. 2009 looms 64.
2010 larceny
1) 1947: Philadelphia Warriors vs. Chicago Stags 4-1 Warring--Woosh
2) 1948 Balitmore Bullets vs. Philadelphia Warriors 4-2 Blowby
3) 1949: Minneapolis Lakers vs. Washington Capitols 4-2 Lancet
4) 1950: Minneapolis Lakers vs. Syracuse Nationals 4-2 Launch 1950 was the first year of the NBA. Minneapolis defeated
Rochester in a one game playoff for first place in the Central Division. Fort Wayne defeated Chicago in a one game playoff for third
place in the Central Division.
5) 1951:West Conference Rochester Royals(Sacramento Kings) vs. NY Knicks 4-3 Rocking The Rochester Royals (currently the
Sacramento Kings) had appeared in the NBL Finals all three years they had been in the league, winning one championship. Their 1951
NBA championship win marks the first (and as of 2011, only) time the franchise has made it to the NBA Finals, let alone won the title.
New York made the first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history; it would turn out to be their first of three consecutive appearances
in the league's championship series. They would have to wait until 1970 for their first NBA championship, however. The 1951
playoffs featured the return of the Boston Celtics to the postseason after a three-year absence; they would not fail to make the playoffs
again until 1970, after they had won eleven NBA championships.
6) 1952: Minneapolis Lakers vs. NY Knicks 4-3 LurkingThe first great NBA dynasty, the Lakers won their third NBA/BAA
championship in the last four years and what would become their first of three titles in a row. If not for their division finals loss to the
Rochester Royals the previous season, Minneapolis would have won six consecutive championships.
7) 1953: Minneapolis Lakers vs. NY Knicks 4-1 Lanky The Lakers won their fourth championship in the last five years, and for the
second consecutive season defeated the Knicks in the Finals to complete their run. The Indianapolis Olympians played their very last
game, a Game 2 loss to the Lakers, in the first round of the 1953 playoffs. They would fold at the conclusion of the season, and major
professional basketball would not return to Indianapolis until the Indiana Pacers were founded for the inaugural 1967-68 season of the
American Basketball Association. The Boston Celtics earned their first playoff series victory in the 1953 playoffs with a two-game
sweep of the Syracuse Nationals. The 1952–53 Baltimore Bullets hold the distinction of having the worst regular season record
heading in NBA playoffs history. The team's record was 16–54.
8) 1954: Minneapolis Lakers vs. Syracuse Nationals 4-3 Laxness For the Lakers it was their third consecutive NBA championship,
and fifth in the last six years. With the folding of the Indianapolis Olympians after the previous year's playoffs, leaving the NBA with
nine teams, they resorted to a round-robin playoff format in 1954 for the only time in the league's history. Although the Minneapolis
Lakers, Fort Wayne Pistons, Rochester Royals and Syracuse Nationals all play in different cities now (Los Angeles, Detroit,
Sacramento and Philadelphia respectively), this was the first NBA playoff in which every team that participated still exists today.
9) 1955: Syracuse Nationals vs. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-3 NippingAlthough both markets were small, the series was spectacular, in
part due to the addition of the 24-second shot clock. The home team won every game, the Nats taking the series with a free throw by
George King at the end of Game 7. This was the only championship for the Nationals under that moniker; the franchise won its next
title in 1967 as the Philadelphia 76ers. For the Pistons, this was their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history; they would
return to finals the following year, but would not win their first championship until 1989 as the Detroit Pistons. After experimenting
with a round robin playoff format the previous year, the NBA moved to a system in which the top team in each conference earned a
first-round bye, giving them the right to start out in the conference finals. This system would remain in place until 1967, when the
league changed to an eight-team format,in which all teams played the first round.
10) 1956: Philadelphia Warriors vs. Fort Wayne Pistons 4-1Wispy It was the Warriors' second NBA championship; their first
title had come in 1947 back when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). They would have to wait
until 1975 to taste championship gold again; by that time they had moved to the Bay Area and become the Golden State Warriors.
This was the Pistons' second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, but they would not make another appearance until 1988 as the Detroit
Pistons. No team from Indiana would return to the NBA Finals until the Indiana Pacers did so in 2000.
11) 1957: Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks 4-3 Cowherd The first championship in what was to become the Celtics dynasty. A
hard-fought series against the Hawks. Jim Loscutoff won the game for the Celtics in double overtime in Game 7 with two free throws.
It was the first championship in Celtics history; as of 2009 the Celtics lead the league in NBA titles won, with 17. The Celtics and
Hawks would meet in four out of five NBA Finals from 1957 to 1961, with the Celtics winning three series and the Hawks one. While
the Hawks' dominance of the Western Conference would be succeeded by the Los Angeles Lakers afterward, the Celtics would only
miss the NBA Finals once between 1957 and 1969, and win the NBA championship in every year but two.
12) 1958: St. Louis Hawks vs. Boston Celtics 4-2 Hiccup was the second consecutive year the Celtics and Hawks met in the NBA
Finals; they would meet four years out of five, with the Celtics winning three series and the Hawks one. This was the first (and as of
2010, only) championship in Hawks franchise history. St. Louis made it to the NBA Finals four times in the five years between 1957
and 1961, but since moving to Atlanta in 1968, they have had considerably less success in the playoffs.
13) 1959: Boston Celtics vs. Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 Call It was the Celtics' second NBA championship. This was the first NBA
Finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics; as of 2008 the franchises have met in the championship series 11 times. Boston won
the first eight NBA Finals series of the rivalry, spanning three decades-- the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s-- before the Lakers finally
defeated the Celtics for the title in 1985 and again in 1987, with Boston topping the Lakers again in 2008. See also: Lakers–Celtics
rivalry This was also the only Celtics/Lakers NBA Finals series that would take place while the latter team was based in Minneapolis.
Indeed, the Lakers would only remain in Minneapolis one more year before moving to their current home of Los Angeles.
14) 1960: Boston Celtics(east) vs St. Louis Hawks(west) 4-3 Calhoun This was the second consecutive and third overall NBA
championship for the Celtics, who gained a measure of revenge for the Hawks' championship win over them two years prior. The
1960 Finals marked the third Celtics/Hawks championship series in the past four years.
15) 1961: Boson Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks 4-1 Cushy For the Celtics it was their third consecutive NBA championship and
fourth overall. This would be the last NBA Finals appearance for the Hawks franchise to date; though they still exist in the NBA 48
years later as the Atlanta Hawks, they have yet to return to the championship series.
16) 1962: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-3 Carload The second NBA Finals with the Lakers against the Celtics (after 1959).
Elgin Baylor scored a Finals record 61 points in a game 5 Laker victory. In Game 7, the clock was winding down with the score tied
at 100, when Frank Selvy (who once scored 100 points in a college game) missed an eight-foot game and series winning basket for the
Lakers. The Celtics won in overtime, with Bill Russell tying his own Finals record with 40 rebounds. The Celtics won their fourth
consecutive championship, becoming the first (and as of 2010, only) NBA team to do so. The Celtics' game seven victory occurred in
overtime, with Boston's Bill Russell tying his own NBA finals record with 40 rebounds. This was the second NBA Finals series
played between the Celtics and Lakers, though it was the first one the Lakers played in since the franchise moved to Los Angeles.
Though the NBA has existed since 1947, this is the earliest NBA Finals played between two teams that still reside in their present
(2010) locations.
17) 1963: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-2 Cycler The Celtics won their fifth consecutive, and sixth overall, NBA championship.
Boston defeated Los Angeles in the NBA Finals for the second year in a row, something that would become a regular occurrence
throughout the 1960s. The Cincinnati Royals advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1952, extending the Celtics to
seven games. This was the last playoff appearance for the Syracuse Nationals under that name; they would move to Philadelphia the
following season and become known as the Philadelphia 76ers.
18) 1964: Boston Celtics vs. S.F. Golden State Warriors 4-1 Crowd Boston earned their sixth consecutive, and seventh overall
NBA championship, as they continued to dominate the 1960s; with the exception of 1967, the Celtics won every NBA championship
awarded in the sixties. This was the San Francisco Warriors' first trip to the NBA Finals since 1956 when they were based in
Philadelphia; they would make a repeat appearance in 1967 and (as the Golden State Warriors) would earn the franchise's second
championship in 1975. The Philadelphia 76ers earned their first playoff appearance in their new city; they had been founded as the
independent Syracuse Nationals in 1939 and joined the National Basketball League in 1946.
19) 1965: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-1 Crowd The Celtics won their seventh consecutive, and eighth overall, NBA
championship, and handed the Lakers their fourth straight Finals defeat in the process. The 1965 playoffs marked the first postseason
appearance for the Baltimore Bullets, who had begun play in the 1961-62 season as the Chicago Packers.
20) 1966: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-3 Chiller Another Celtics-Lakers classic. In Game 7, Red Auerbach, Boston's coach, lit
up his traditional "victory cigar" midway through the 4th quarter, only to see his team's big lead melt away. They held on, however,
and won 95–93 to preserve the Celtics' eighth straight championship and ninth in ten seasons. The Celtics won their eighth
consecutive, and ninth overall, NBA championship, defeating the Lakers in the Finals for the fifth straight time. This would be the last
NBA playoff tournament made under the "top team in each conference gets a first-round bye" format established in 1955; the 1967
NBA Playoffs would feature an eight-team tournament with no first-round byes.
21) 1967: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers vs. SF. Warriors 4-2 Slowed It was the 76ers' second NBA championship in
franchise history; their first title had come in 1955 as the Syracuse Nationals. The Boston Celtics were denied the chance to win their
ninth consecutive championship, though they would win the title in the following two seasons. The expansion Chicago Bulls made the
playoffs in their debut season, and the New York Knicks returned to the postseason for the first time since 1959. As of 2006, the
seven-year gap between playoff appearances is the longest such gap in Knicks franchise history. The 1967 NBA playoffs marked a
change in playoff format for the league; every tournament since 1955 had given the top-ranked team in each conference a first-round
bye, but starting this season the NBA upped the number of playoff teams from six to eight and removed the bye privilege from the
regular-season conference champion.
22) 1968: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-2. Curled Overcame 3-1 deficit to beat Jerry West’s LA to win 4 games to 2. The
Celtics won their 10th NBA championship, first under player/coach Bill Russell after the retirement of Red Auerbach. In the Eastern
Conference Finals, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3 games to 1 deficit to win a series, as they
knocked off the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in 7. In the West, The Lakers swept the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to
none. It was the first time since 1954 that the top team in a conference failed to make it to the conference finals; from 1955 to 1967 the
league had given the regular-season conference champion a first-round bye.
23) 1969: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-3: Coiling For the third time in the decade, a Lakers-Celtics final went to seven games.
Chamberlain, Baylor, and West, three of the game's best players, were now all playing for the Lakers. Nevertheless, the aging Celtics
(who had finished fourth in the Eastern Division), led by player-coach Bill Russell, put on an effective counter-attack. In Game 4, with
the Celtics trailing 2–1 in the series and 88–87 in the game, Sam Jones hit an incredible buzzer-beater with three seconds left to even
the series and preserve the Celtics' championship winning streak. In game 7, Boston built a big lead and Wilt Chamberlain picked up
his 5th foul. The Lakers rallied behind their subs, and cut the deficit to 2 points in the final minutes. Laker guard Keith Erickson
knocked the ball away from John Havlicek, but it bounced to Don Nelson with only 2 seconds left on the 24 second shot clock.
Nelson's shot hit the heel of the rim, bounced high in the air and came down through the hoop to restore the lead to 4 with a minute
remaining. Boston ended up winning 108–106. Despite finishing in 4th place, the Celtics won their second consecutive NBA
championship, marking their 11th overall as their era of 1960s dominance drew to a close. They upset Philadelphia and the Knicks on
the way to the finals. Out west, the San Francisco Warriors stunned the Lakers by winning the first two games in L.A., and Bay Area
fans were thinking of avenging the prior year's sweep by the Lakers with a sweep of their own. But the Lakers won 4 straight to win
the series in 6. This year marked the debut of the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award; it was awarded to Jerry West
of the Lakers, which marks the only time, thus far, that the trophy has been given to a player on the losing team. The second-year San
Diego Rockets earned their first playoff appearance; the next time they appeared in the playoffs would be in 1975 as the Houston
Rockets.
24) 1970: NY Knicks vs. LA Lakers 4-3: Killing With the series tied 1–1, Game 3 produced an instant classic (see game 3 of 1970
finals). The Knicks' Dave DeBusschere made a basket with 3 seconds left to give the Knicks a 102–100 lead. Jerry West then made a
63 foot shot to force overtime. However, the Knicks recovered to win the game and eventually the series in 7. Game 7 is best
remembered when the injured Willis Reed, who supposedly was out of Game 7, started the game and scored the first two baskets to
inspire the Knicks just when they needed it. New York claimed its first title. Walt "clyde" frazier also scored 36 points and had 19
assists. New York's Willis Reed was named NBA Finals MVP. It was the first NBA championship for the Knicks in franchise history,
and marked their first appearance in the NBA Finals since losing their third consecutive NBA Finals in 1953, ironically, to the Lakers
while they still played in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the Lakers, it was the third straight Western Conference championship, and the
second consecutive year they lost in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers dropped their eighth straight NBA Finals series (the
previous seven, to the Boston Celtics) and were denied their first NBA championship since 1954. The 1970 playoffs featured the
postseason debut of the second-year Milwaukee Bucks, and they managed a first-round defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers
became only the second NBA team to win a series after trailing 3 games to 1 when they beat Phoenix in 7 games in the first round.
The Boston Celtics failed to make the playoffs in 1970, despite being the defending champions.
25) 1971: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Maltimore Bullets 4-0: Bomb Led by Finals MVP and the previous season's Rookie of the Year
Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Oscar Robertson, the Bucks not only became the fastest expansion team in NBA
history to win the championship (a record that as of 2010 they still hold), but they did so in dominating fashion, finishing 12-2 in the
playoffs with an unprecedented 14.5 points postseason average point differential. [1] The playoff format was changed from the previous
two-division format. There were now four divisions, with each division qualifying its champion and second-place team. In the
conference semifinals, the champion of each division played the second place team in the other, with the divisional champion having
home-court advantage. The two conference semifinals winners then played for the conference championship. This was the first NBA
Finals appearance for the Bullets, and would be their only trip to the championship round in Baltimore; they would make three more
appearances (winning one championship) later in this decade. The 1971 playoffs would be the last for the San Francisco Warriors
under that moniker; the following season, symbolizing their already-established home base of Oakland, they changed their name to the
Golden State Warriors.
26) 1972: Minneapolis/LA Lakers vs. NY Knicks 4-1: Lanky Wilt Chamberlain was named NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers
finished the regular season with the best record in NBA history at 69-13, a mark that would be unequalled until the 1995–96 Chicago
Bulls finished 72-10. Led by Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, the Lakers won their first championship in Los Angeles; their previous
title had been in 1954 as the Minneapolis Lakers. The Lakers won their first NBA Finals in the last nine appearances, without
superstar Elgin Baylor, who had played in each of the preceding eight finals losses. Baylor retired nine games into the season because
of ongoing knee problems.
27) 1973: NY Knicks vs. LA Lakers 4-1: Keels(even keel) The Knicks won their second (and as of 2010, most recent) NBA
championship. New York's Willis Reed became the first player to win the NBA Finals MVP twice, in the fifth year of the award's
existence. The playoff format was modified, as only the divisional champions qualified automatically; two wild-cards were also added
from each conference. Once qualification was determined, the four qualifiers were seeded 1-2-3-4 based entirely on record; divisional
position no longer mattered. The #1 seed then played #4, and #2 played #3. Because of this new format, New York, the Atlantic
Division runner-up, had the home-court advantage versus the Baltimore Bullets, the Central Division champion, since the Knicks had
the better regular-season record. The Bullets had had the home-court advantage in the 1972 playoffs versus the Knicks and in the 1971
playoffs versus Philadelphia, even though their record was worse than New York's and Philadelphia's were those seasons, because
they had won their division, while the '72 Knicks and '71 76ers were runners-up. This was the second consecutive time (and third in
the last four years) that the Lakers and Knicks met in the championship series, and the Lakers-Knicks rivalry ended with two
championships won by the Knicks and one by the Lakers. Los Angeles would have to wait until 1980 to return to the finals; New York
would not be back in the championship round until 1994.
28) 1974: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks 4-3: Cutback It was the Celtics' 12th NBA Championship, and the very first one
accomplished in the post-Bill Russell era. John Havlicek of the Celtics was named NBA Finals MVP. An injury to Bucks' starting
guard Lucius Allen was a key factor in the finals. Using the revised playoff format adopted in 1973, two third-place teams (Buffalo in
the East, Detroit in the West) qualified for the playoffs, while the second-place finishers in the Central (Atlanta) and Pacific (Golden
State) divisions did not qualify. Also, since the top three Western qualifiers were in the Midwest Division, the two divisional
champions in the Western Conference (Milwaukee and Los Angeles) played in the conference semifinals. With a 4-3 series victory
over the Detroit Pistons in the first round, the Chicago Bulls earned their first playoff series victory. In their first eight years of
existence, the Bulls made the playoffs seven times. As a matter of historical curiosity, three of the four teams in the 1974 Western
Conference bracket (Milwaukee, Detroit and Chicago) now reside in the Eastern Conference. This was the only appearance of the
Capital Bullets in the playoffs under that moniker; the Bullets assumed the "Capital" name for only one year before changing to the
Washington Bullets the following season. The 1974 playoffs also marked the playoff debut of the Buffalo Braves, who had joined the
league in the 1970-71 season. For the first time in NBA/BAA history (dating back to 1947), neither the Lakers (of Minnesota then Los
Angeles) or the Warriors (of Philadelphia then San Francisco and Golden State) participated in a conference (or division prior to 1971)
finals series.
29) 1975: Francisco/Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Bullets 4-0: Womb Was an upset (Bullets expected to win) Rick
Barry of the Warriors was named NBA Finals MVP. The Warriors won their third NBA championship, first since 1956 as the
Philadelphia Warriors, and as of 2010, their most recent title. The playoff format was revised again, as the result of which the first two
finishers in each division were guaranteed playoff berths, along with the best third-place team from each conference. Once each
conference's qualifiers were selected, they were seeded 1 through 5, with the fourth and fifth seeds playing in a best-of-three series,
with the victor advancing to play the first seed in a best-of-seven semifinal, while the second and third seeds played the other
semifinal. The eight-year-old Seattle SuperSonics made their playoff debut in 1975, winning the first playoff series in franchise
history against the Detroit Pistons. Seattle would go on to make consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 1978 and 1979, winning the
championship the latter year. The Kansas City-Omaha Kings made their first postseason appearance since 1967 as the Cincinnati
Royals, and the Houston Rockets made their first playoff appearance since 1969 when they played in San Diego. The 1975 playoffs
featured an expansion in the number of postseason qualifiers from 8 to 10 teams; it would be expanded to 12 in 1977 and again to its
current number of 16 in 1984. At the time, this was the closest the Chicago Bulls would ever come to an NBA title, losing in seven
games to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. They wouldn't make it this far again until 1989, this time as a member of the
Eastern Conference. They would finally win an NBA title two years later.
30) 1976: Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns 4-2: Clasps Chiefly remembered for the fifth game, a classic that was often labeled
afterwards as the "greatest NBA game ever." With the series tied 2–2 against the Phoenix Suns, the Boston Celtics took a huge lead at
Boston Garden but could not hold it. Eventually, after numerous last second heroics by both teams, Boston won in three overtimes,
128–126. Boston then won Game 6 and took their 13th championship; the series was highlighted by Game Five, Second in the "Dave
Cowens era". Jo Jo White of the Celtics was named NBA Finals MVP. The Suns earned their first two playoff series victories in
franchise history to advance to the NBA Finals; they would win their second (and as of 2010, most recent) Western Conference
championship in 1993. The sixth-year Cleveland Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance (and won their first playoff series) in
this year's postseason. The 1976 playoffs marked the last appearance of the Buffalo Braves in the playoffs until 1992, when they
would return as the Los Angeles Clippers. The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs for the first time since 1971, starting a twelveyear playoff run that included four NBA Finals (1977, 1980, 1982, 1983).
31) 1977: Portland TrailBlazers vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2: Tussle It was Portland's first (and as of 2009, only) NBA
championship. Bill Walton of the Blazers was awarded the NBA Finals MVP award. Portland won the NBA championship in its very
first playoff appearance, something that had not occurred since the very early days of the BAA (and has not been accomplished since,
as of 2009). This was the first NBA playoff tournament to take place after the ABA-NBA merger; two of the former ABA teams (the
San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets) made their NBA playoff debuts in this, their first season in the league. The New Jersey Nets
made their first playoff appearance in 1979, and the Indiana Pacers in 1981. For the first time since 1956 (when the Philadelphia
Warriors defeated the Syracuse Nationals three games to two), the Eastern Conference/Division championship series had neither the
Boston Celtics nor the New York Knicks participating.
32) 1978: Washington Bullets vs. Seattle Supersonics 4-3: Blasted The Washington Bullets and the Seattle SuperSonics swap
championships, each team winning on the other's home court. The Bullets won game 7 in Seattle in 1978; Wes Unseld of the Bullets
was named NBA Finals MVP. To date, it remains the first and only NBA Championship that the Washington Bullets have ever won.
It was the third NBA Finals appearance and first championship for the Bullets, founded in 1961. The Sonics made the Finals for the
first time in their 11-year existence. This would be the first of two consecutive meetings in the Finals between the Bullets and Sonics,
with Seattle winning the championship the following year. This was the first time since the expansion of the playoff field to ten teams
in 1975 that neither conference champion had the benefit of a first-round bye by being one of the top two teams in the conference
during the regular season. The 1979 Finals rematch between the Sonics and Bullets took place with both teams as the #1 seed in their
respective conference. The Denver Nuggets, one of the four former American Basketball Association teams to join the NBA the
previous season, became the first of them to win an NBA playoff series, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game conference
semifinal.
33) 1979: Seattle Supersonics vs. Washington Bullets 4-1: Sumba The Sonics return the favor in 1979, beating the Bullets 4-1,
taking game 5 on the Bullets' home court. The Sonics earned their first (and as of 2010, only) NBA championship. Seattle's Dennis
Johnson won the NBA Finals MVP award. The Finals were a rematch of the previous year's championship series; the Bullets had
defeated the Sonics four games to three in the 1978 Finals. As of 2010, the Bullets (later the Washington Wizards) have not returned
to the championship series. The San Antonio Spurs made their first visit to the conference finals in the 1979 playoffs. The 1979
playoffs also marked the first time that three of the former ABA teams would make the postseason, as it marked the NBA playoff
debut of the New Jersey Nets.
34) 1980: LA Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2: Loosed The Lakers took a 3–2 lead against the Sixers, led chiefly by AbdulJabbar, who came off the bench with a sprained ankle in Game 5. But the ankle worsened, and Kareem didn't even make the trip to
Philadelphia for game 6. Magic Johnson, just a rookie, shifted to center and played out a huge game in Game 6, scoring 42 points and
netting 15 rebounds as the Lakers clinched the title, 123–107. This was the series that Julius Erving executed the behind-thebackboard "Baseline Move". The Lakers earned their seventh NBA championship, their second since moving from Minneapolis.
Magic Johnson of the Lakers became the first and (as of 2010), only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award, leading the Lakers to
a clinching victory in Game 6 with 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. With center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severely
sprained ankle, Johnson started at center in his stead, and ultimately played all five positions on the court during the game.
Philadelphia earned their third Eastern Conference championship but were unsuccessful in capturing their second NBA championship.
The Milwaukee Bucks appeared in the playoffs for the last time as a member of the Western Conference; the Houston Rockets and
San Antonio Spurs likewise appeared for the last time playing for the Eastern Conference. They would switch conferences (along with
the Chicago Bulls) in the 1980-81 season with the addition of the Dallas Mavericks.
35) 1981: Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets 4-2 Cherub Celtics won their 14th championship. Boston's Cedric Maxwell was
awarded NBA Finals MVP. The playoffs were notable for being the only time, to date, that a team with a losing record has ever
advanced to the NBA Finals, as the Rockets won their first Western Conference championship, despite finishing with a record of 4042 (the other Western Conference Finalist, the Kansas City Kings, also had a 40-42 record). The Kings' playoff series victories over
the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns were the last for the franchise in Kansas City. The franchise's last playoff series in Kansas
City was a three-game sweep in the opening round in 1984 by the Los Angeles Lakers. The team moved to Sacramento after the 198485 season and did not win a playoff series representing northern California until 2001. The Indiana Pacers became the fourth and final
former American Basketball Association team to make their postseason debut, though two straight losses to the Philadelphia 76ers
brought a quick end to the Pacers' first playoff run. This was the last year, to date, in which an NBA playoff game was played during
the month of March. The Boston Celtics replicated its 1968 playoff comeback in the conference finals by defeating the Philadelphia
76ers in seven games after trailing 1-3. This marked the only time a team had come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series
against the same team twice.
36) 1982: Minneapolis/LA Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4-2: LoosesThe Lakers won their eighth NBA championship (third in
Los Angeles) and Magic Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award. It was the second NBA Finals meeting in three years
between the Lakers and Sixers, and ended with the same result—a six-game Lakers victory—as the previous confrontation. The
Lakers and Sixers would meet once more the following year, with Philadelphia getting their revenge in a four-game sweep.The
Washington Bullets' two-game sweep of the New Jersey Nets would be their last playoff series victory for 23 years; they would not
advance to the second round again until 2005. This was the third consecutive year the Milwaukee Bucks would fail to advance to the
third round with the #2 seed in spite of getting a first round bye.
37) 1983: Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers Vs. Lakers 4-0: Sail Moses Malone and Julius Erving. This was the final
postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season. However, this would be
the last time the city of Philadelphia would enjoy a championship until the Phillies won the 2008 World Series.[1] Moses Malone was
named NBA Finals MVP; he notably made a prediction about the Sixers' chances prior to the start of the playoffs, saying "Fo', fo',
fo'"—predicting that the Sixers would sweep all three series. They came close; they only lost one game, to Milwaukee in the Eastern
Conference finals. The Sixers set a record for highest winning percentage in the playoffs that would not be broken until the Lakers
went 15-1 in 2001. The Lakers' mark, however, came after the expansion to the current 16-team, four-round playoff format, which was
first implemented in the 1984 playoffs, while the Sixers avoided the first round by virtue of their top seeding. It was the third time in
four years that the Lakers and 76ers had met in the NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning the previous two series. After missing the
playoffs the previous year, the Portland Trail Blazers began a string of 21 consecutive playoff appearances in 1983 lasting until 2003.
They made the playoffs 25 out of 26 years from their title-winning season of 1977 to 2003. The record was just one season shy of the
22-year playoff run set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1949 to 1971. The Boston Celtics were swept out of the
playoffs for the first time in team history, losing 4-0 to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. However the Celtics would win the
next three playoff meetings over the Bucks (1984, 1986 and 1987). Until 1995, this would be the San Antonio Spurs' last appearance
in the Conference Finals. However, for players such as George Gervin and Artis Gilmore, the six-game loss to the Lakers would be
the closest they would get into reaching the NBA Finals, let alone an NBA Championship (Gilmore did return to the conference finals
with the Celtics in 1988, but played sparingly).
38) 1984: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-3: Callboy The long-awaited rematch of the Lakers and Celtics after their rivalry was
revived in 1980 with the Johnson-Bird pair entering the league. The Lakers won Game 1, and almost Game 2, but a crucial steal in
Game 2 by Gerald Henderson led to a tie game and the Celtics were able to win in overtime to tie the series. The Lakers won Game 3.
The Celtics won Game 4. Now tied 2–2, the Lakers and Celtics each held serve at their home court to send the series to Boston for
Game 7. Game 5 was a classic, with Bird coming up with a huge game in one of the (literally) hottest games ever in non-air
conditioned Boston Garden. Game 7 was a close game but eventually the Celtics won. The 1984 championship series was one of the
most watched in history, with soaring TV ratings. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still
in use as of 2010. Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. It was the first NBA Finals
meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969; the storied rivals met seven times in the championship series from 1959 to 1969,
with Boston coming out on top each year. Going into the 1984 playoffs the Lakers had already won two championships in the 1980s
and the Celtics one, making the renewal of the Lakers/Celtics rivalry arguably inevitable and certainly highly anticipated. Two teams
made their playoff debuts (and won their first playoff series) in the 1984 playoffs: the Utah Jazz (who joined the NBA for the 1974-75
season as the New Orleans Jazz) and the Dallas Mavericks, a 1980-81 expansion team. The Jazz would not miss the playoffs again
until 2004. The Detroit Pistons made their first playoff appearance since 1977; they would not miss the postseason again until 1993.
The New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time in their NBA history, upsetting the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers
in five games. This was also the only time a road team won every playoff game in a series. The Nets would not win a playoff series
again until 2002. The 1984 Playoffs also involved two of the hottest (literally) games in NBA history. Game 5 of the first round
between the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons was played at Joe Louis Arena, as the Pontiac Silverdome was unavailable,
with temperatures reaching as high as 120 degrees. Game 5 of the 1984 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles
Lakers, at the Boston Garden, reached temperatures as high as 100 degrees, as the Garden lacked air-conditioning, coupled with the
sweltering outdoors conditions in Boston.
39) 1985: LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics 4-2: Lancer The Lakers and Celtics met again, and the Celtics opened the series with a
crushing 148-112 win over Los Angeles. Known as the "Memorial Day Massacre", Boston's 148 points still stands as the highest total
by a team in the Finals. However, the Lakers came back to win the series in six games, finally beating Boston in the NBA Finals.
L.A.'s Finals victory marked the only time Boston lost a championship on their home floor. The Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was
named NBA Finals MVP for the second time in his long career (he had won the award under his former name, Lew Alcindor, as a
member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971). The Lakers had been unsuccessful in their eight previous attempts to defeat the Celtics in
the NBA Finals, losing seven times from 1959 to 1969 and also in the previous year's championship series. To put the icing on the
cake, the Lakers won the championship at the Boston Garden, becoming the only opposing team to win a title on the Celtics' home
floor. The 1985 playoffs marked the return of the Cleveland Cavaliers to the postseason; they had last made the playoffs in 1978 and
gave the Celtics their stiffest challenge in the opening round. The 1985 playoffs marked the first time that all three teams from the
state of Texas made the playoffs in the same year. The Denver Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1978
and would not advance again until 2009. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, advanced to the conference finals for the fifth time
in six years, but would not reach that level again until 2001.
40) 1986: Boston Celtcs vs. Houston Rockets 4-2: Course The Celtics won their 16th NBA championship, their last until 2008.
Larry Bird was awarded his second NBA Finals MVP trophy. The Rockets made the NBA Finals when Ralph Sampson made an off
balance jumper at the buzzer against the Lakers at The Forum in Game 5 of the Western Finals. This was the second NBA Finals
meeting between the Celtics and Rockets; the teams also met in the 1981 series, with the same result. It was the third of four
consecutive Eastern Conference championships for the Celtics, who won an impressive 67 games that year, and lost just one game in
the regular season at home out of 41 played. The Rockets, meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history.
Second-year player Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls put on an ageless performance in game two of the Bulls' first-round series
against the Celtics, scoring 63 points in an overtime loss, which still stands as the All-Time NBA Playoffs Record. Jordan averaged
43.7 points per game in the series, but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced, more talented Celtics
team considered by many among the greatest of all-time. The Bulls set a dubious mark by posting the second worst record for a
playoff-qualifying team in history, going just 30-52 during the season. The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years that the
Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, but it would be their last appearance in the series until 2001. The
Celtics avenged the ghosts of its 1983 sweep by sweeping the Bucks in four games. As for the Philadelphia 76ers, this would be the
last time they would play in a Game 7 until the 2001 NBA Playoffs. After their humiliating first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the
Detroit Pistons would advance past the first round in each of the next five seasons (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991), which include all
appearances in the conference finals, three NBA Finals, and two championships.
41) 1987: LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics 4-2: Lanced The Lakers and Celtics clashed again. Johnson beat the Celtics on a buzzerbeater in Game 4 to take a 3–1 lead and swing the momentum towards the Lakers. Los Angeles won in six. The Lakers earned their
10th NBA championship, and Magic Johnson won his record third NBA Finals MVP trophy. Before 2008, this was the last time the
Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals though Boston threatened in 2002, making it to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing
to the New Jersey Nets in six games. By making it to the Eastern Conference finals, the Detroit Pistons advanced farther in the
playoffs than they had in the past 25 years. They would make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 the following season, the
first of three consecutive trips to the championship round (winning the last two). The Golden State Warriors made their first playoff
appearance since 1977, and the Indiana Pacers made their return to the playoffs after a six-year absence. By defeating the Dallas
Mavericks 3 games to 1, the Seattle SuperSonics became the first #7 seed to defeat a #2 seed since the NBA playoff format was
expanded to 16 teams at the end of the 1983-1984 season. They managed to reach the Western Conference Finals. The 1989 and 1991
Golden State Warriors, 1998 New York Knicks and 2010 San Antonio Spurs 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 trailing by 1, Detroit's Isiah Thomas's pass intended for Bill Laimbeer was stolen by Boston's Larry Bird, who passed to
Dennis Johnson for the game-winning basket. The only dent in the Lakers run to the finals came in game 4 of the Western Conference
semifinals against the Golden State Warriors when Eric "Sleepy" Floyd scored a playoff record 39 points in the second half, with a
record 29 coming in the forth quarter, to seal a 129-121 win. Both records still stand.
42) 1988: Minneapolis/LA Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons 4-3: Limping The Lakers became the first team since the Boston Celtics in
1969 to repeat as champions, a feat that Lakers coach Pat Riley had guaranteed through the previous offseason. James Worthy of the
Lakers was named NBA Finals MVP. This was the sixth and last championship of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career; the following year,
the Lakers would be swept by the Pistons in the finals and Abdul-Jabbar retired at the end of the season. This marked the first time
since 1983 that the Boston Celtics did not represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals, although the Celtics did win one of the
most memorable games of the 1988 playoffs, beating the Atlanta Hawks, 118-116, in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semis at
Boston Garden. Larry Bird scored 20 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics overcome the 47 points scored by Dominique
Wilkins. The Dallas Mavericks made their first trip to the Western Conference finals, falling in seven to the Lakers. They would not
advance that far again until 2003. The New York Knicks made their first postseason appearance since 1984. They would remain
playoff regulars until 2001, which included two NBA Finals appearances (1994, 1999). On the other hand, the Washington Bullets
would not return to the playoffs until 1997, and would not win a playoff game again until 2005 as the Wizards. This was the first time
in NBA history that a game other than a Championship Series game was played during the month of June. Highlights of the 1988
NBA Playoffs were provided by the Los Angeles Lakers championship documentary "Back To Back", narrated by Chick Hearn.
Game 4 of the Hawks-Bucks series would be the last game ever played at the Mecca. Game 5 of the NBA Finals would be the last
game ever played at the Pontiac Silverdome.
43) 1989: Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons vs. LA Lakers 4-0: PillLos Angeles Lakers were severely hampered by injuries. Pistons
won their 1st championship. Joe Dumars of the Pistons was named the NBA Finals MVP. The Pistons had one of the most dominating
playoff runs in NBA history, finishing 15-2 with their only two losses to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. The
Lakers won the Western Conference championship without losing a game. They would be swept in the championship round by the
Pistons, due in part to season-ending injuries suffered by Magic Johnson and Byron Scott. The Lakers earned the distinction of being
the only team to sweep the first three playoff round, and then be swept in the NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls advanced to the Eastern
Conference finals for the first time since 1975 (and for the first time in the career of Michael Jordan), but their season was ended by
the Pistons for the second of what would ultimately be three consecutive years. Two rounds earlier, Jordan made "The Shot" over
Craig Ehlo at the buzzer for the Bulls to beat the Cavs. The Boston Celtics' first-round playoff sweep by the Pistons was the first time
the Celtics failed to get past the round of 16. Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan would make the first of 19 playoff appearances
in a 22-year tenure. The only times he missed the playoffs with the Jazz was from 2004 to 2006. His previous playoff appearance was
in 1981 with the Bulls. His Jazz were ousted by the Golden State Warriors in a three-game sweep, the second time a seventh seed had
beaten the second seed in the playoffs. Under Don Nelson, the Warriors became famous for their up-tempo game that made up for an
undersized lineup, as well as their ability to create mismatches. The Warriors would make history as the only team to beat either of the
top two seeds thrice in the NBA Playoffs; they also ousted the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in 1991 and the top-seeded Dallas
Mavericks (a team Nelson also coached) in 2007.
44) 1990: Detroit Pistons vs. Portland Trail Blazers 4-1: Pouty The Portland Trail Blazers win the Western Conference and go on
to be defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the Finals Isiah Thomas of the Pistons was awarded the title of NBA Finals MVP. It was the
first trip to the NBA Finals for the Portland Trail Blazers since their stunning championship win of 1977. The Chicago Bulls would go
on to lose 93-74 in Detroit in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, making it the 3rd consecutive year the Bulls were ousted in the
postseason by the Pistons. The Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a playoff series for the first time ever, which marked
the first time since 1981 that the Lakers failed to reach at least the conference finals. The New York Knicks fell 0-2 behind to the
Boston Celtics in their first round Eastern Conference matchup, but came back to take the series 3-2 by winning the decisive Game 5
on the road in Boston The Indiana Pacers made only their third playoff appearance since their NBA debut in the 1976-77 season; they
would proceed to make the playoffs 16 out of the next 17 years (missing only in 1997). The Dallas Mavericks made their only playoff
appearance of the 1990s. They would miss the playoffs the next 10 seasons before returning in 2001. Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals
marked the final NBA game to be televised on CBS.
45) 1991: Chicago Bulls vs. LA Lakers 4-1: Bully Was Bulls 1st championship. Michael Jordan of the Bulls was named NBA
Finals MVP. After having their previous three seasons ended by the Detroit Pistons, the Bulls exacted a measure of revenge in the
Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the two-time defending NBA champions. The final game ended with the Detroit Pistons
walking off the court before time had officially expired, refusing to shake the Bulls' hands. In the 1989 NBA Finals, the Pistons
themselves had defeated the two-time defending champion Lakers in a four-game sweep. The Pistons would not reach the conference
finals again until 2003, followed by a season in which they would go on to defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals in 2004 to earn their
first championship in 14 years. After losing their Eastern Conference semifinal series to the Bulls, the Philadelphia 76ers would not
return to the playoffs until 1999. After losing their Eastern Conference first round series to the 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks would not
return to the playoffs until 1999. Game 4 of the Trail Blazers–Jazz series was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace. This also
was the first year that NBC aired the NBA Playoffs.
46) 1992: Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers 4-2: Bitter Chicago Bulls won second consecutive NBA championship. Bulls
superstar Michael Jordan won his second NBA Finals MVP award. The Trail Blazers won their second Western Conference title in the
past three years, third overall in franchise history, behind the leadership of Clyde Drexler. The Utah Jazz made it to the Western
Conference finals for the first time in their 18-year franchise history. They would return in 1994 and 1996 before finally breaking
through to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. The fourth-year Miami Heat became the first of the 1988 and 1989 expansion teams (the
Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets were the other three) to make the playoffs, though they were swept in
the first round by the Bulls. In 2006 the Heat would become the first of these teams to win the NBA championship. The Los Angeles
Clippers made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1976, when they were the Buffalo Braves. Despite Magic Johnson's stunning
retirement due to testing HIV positive prior to the start of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers still managed to make their 16th straight
NBA playoff appearance. It was their first appearance since 1979 without Johnson, Michael Cooper, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Two
games were postponed due to the Los Angeles riots, one being the Trail Blazers at the Lakers and the other, the Jazz at the Clippers,
due to the riots in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict. For safety purposes, both the Lakers and Clippers decided to move
their home games to a nearby alternate venue; the Lakers played at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada for Game 4, the
Clippers at Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California for Game 4 (the Clippers returned to Anaheim at Arrowhead Pond in
1994 as an alternate venue and played there until 1999 whenever the Los Angeles Sports Arena was unavailable). Game 4 of the
Blazers-Suns series was the last game ever played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The Boston Celtics' first round sweep
of the Indiana Pacers would be their last playoff series win until 2002. After losing in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers,
Larry Bird retired after 13 seasons. As for the Cavaliers, it would be their first Conference Finals appearance since 1976, but fell to the
Bulls in six games. They would not return again until 2007.
47) 1993: Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns 4-2: Boasts Was Bulls 3rd consecutive championship. The Phoenix Suns and the
Chicago Bulls squared off in a thrilling series in which the visiting team prevailed in all but one (Game 4 at Chicago). Phoenix fell
behind 2–0 in the series, but a triple overtime victory in Game 3, allowed the Suns back into contention. Still, it would be John
Paxson's clutch three pointer in Game 6 that would seal the game, the series and the Bulls' first three-peat. For the third consecutive
year, the Bulls' Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP. This was the Suns' second Western Conference championship; they
made their first NBA Finals appearance in 1976, losing to the Boston Celtics. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New Jersey Nets
in the first round, which would prove to be their last win in a playoff series until 2006. The fifth-year Charlotte Hornets made their
postseason debut in the 1993 playoffs, and became the first of the 1988 and 1989 expansion teams (Charlotte, Orlando, Minnesota and
Miami) to win a playoff series, stunning the Boston Celtics in four games. Game 6 of the Suns-Spurs series was the last game ever
played at the Hemisfair Arena. The Knicks-Pacers rivalry started in their first round encounter, where the Knicks won in four games.
But it wasn't until the next two meetings (1994, 1995) that the rivalry became even more intense, particularly with Reggie Miller's
heroics at Madison Square Garden that made him and the Pacers not only household names, but also legitimate contenders in the
Eastern Conference.
48) 1994: Houston Rockets vs. NY Knicks 4-3: The Knicks took a 3–2 lead on the Houston Rockets and had a chance to clinch it
in Game 6 but John Starks' final shot was blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets would win game 7 and win their first NBA
Championship. Game 4 (June 15, 1994) took place at Madison Square Garden less than 24 hours after hosting the New York Rangers'
first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years, following their 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the their finals. During
Game 5 (June 17, 1994), which took place hours after the parade in New York honoring the Stanley Cup Champions, most NBC
affiliates (with the noted exception being the network's own flagship station, WNBC-TV out of New York) split the coverage of the
game between NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson's low speed freeway chase with the LAPD. A visibly confused and distraught Bob
Costas (NBC's anchor for their NBA Finals coverage) said during the telecast from the Garden that the Simpson situation was "not just
tragic but now surreal." Pat Riley became the first coach in NBA history to coach in Game 7 NBA Finals with two different teams,
having been coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984 and 1988. It was the first NBA Championship for the Rockets after two
previous Finals appearances in 1981 and 1986, both losses to the Boston Celtics in six games. The biggest shocker of the tournament
came in the first round, when the Denver Nuggets came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Seattle SuperSonics in 5 games, marking
the first time in NBA history that an 8th-seeded team had defeated a top seed. The Nuggets stretched their second-round playoff series
with the Utah Jazz out to seven games but the Jazz defeated them in Game 7. The playoffs also featured the very first playoff series
victory for the Indiana Pacers in their 18-year NBA existence, as they swept the Orlando Magic (who were making their first playoffs
appearance in franchise history) in the first round, and then eliminated the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the second round. The
Pacers advanced within one game of the NBA Finals but dropped Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Knicks. This
was the first time since the ABA-NBA merger prior to the 1976-77 season that all four former ABA teams (Indiana, Denver, San
Antonio and New Jersey) made the playoffs in the same year. For the Chicago Bulls, this was their first (and as it would turn out, only)
playoff run they would accomplish between the first retirement of Michael Jordan and his return on March 17, 1995. After sweeping
the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, they fell in seven games to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. For the Knicks,
they made history by playing a record 25 playoff games (one game short of a full length postseason), the most postseason games that
an NBA team had ever played. The Detroit Pistons team of 2005 had tied this record.[1] However, it was broken by the 2008 Boston
Celtics championship team.[1] Their easiest series was the first-round 3-1 advancement over the Nets. The Knicks then forced three
straight Game 7 series, eliminating the Bulls 4-3 in the Conference Semifinals, knocking off the Pacers 4-3 in the Conference Finals,
both times at Madison Square Garden, before falling in Game 7 to the Rockets at The Summit in the NBA Finals, which meant New
York was denied both NBA and NHL titles. Game 4 of the Finals (June 15, 1994) took place at the Garden, a day after hosting the
New York Rangers first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years , following their 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the
Stanley Cup Finals. Knicks Coach Pat Riley made history by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) person in NBA history to
have coached in a Game 7 NBA Finals on two different teams, having been with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984 and 1988. However,
he had the unfortunate distinction to have become the first (and to this date, the only) coach to lose a Game 7 NBA Finals on two
different teams, as his Lakers lost to the Celtics in 1984. It also denied him the distinction of becoming the first coach to win a Game 7
NBA Finals on two different teams, as his Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in 1988. This would be the last playoff appearance for
the Golden State Warriors until the 2006-07 NBA Season. This was also the first time that the Boston Celtics, since 1979, and the Los
Angeles Lakers, since 1976, did not make the playoffs and their first-ever absence since the playoff field expanded to 16 teams in
1984. This was the first and (as of 2011) only time that both the Lakers and Celtics missed the playoffs in the same year. Game 3 of
the Bulls-Cavaliers series would be the last game ever played at the Coliseum at Richfield. Game 6 of the Knicks-Bulls series would
be the last game ever played at Chicago Stadium. Game 5 of the Nuggets-Supersonics first round series was the last to be played at
Seattle Center Coliseum before the renovations and its renaming into KeyArena at Seattle Center two years later. The Sonics played
the intervening 1994-95 NBA season at Tacoma Dome in nearby Tacoma, Washington.
49) 1995: Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic 4-0: Rockets 2nd consecutive championship. The Rockets became the fourth
consecutive team to win championships back-to-back (after the Los Angeles Lakers of 1987 and '88, Detroit Pistons of '89 and '90 and
Chicago Bulls of '91, '92 and '93). It would happen a fifth time, with the Bulls winning three more starting the next year. The sixthseeded Rockets (47-35) took out four very impressive opponents on their way to the title, defeating the third-seeded Utah Jazz (60-22),
the second-seeded Phoenix Suns (59-23), the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs (62-20) and the Eastern Conference champion Orlando
Magic (57-25) in the NBA Finals. In the second round against the Suns, the Rockets came back from a 3-1 series deficit and did it
without the benefit of home-court advantage, winning Games 5 and 7 in Phoenix. Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon dominated league
MVP David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal in consecutive series to bring home the championship. The 1995 playoffs featured the
first three playoff series victories in the history of the Magic, as they defeated the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers to
win their first Eastern Conference championship. The 1995 playoffs featured the return of Michael Jordan to the playoff stage after a
year's absence, and the only time the Bulls would fail to win a championship with him on board since they started their string of titles
in 1991. After this tournament the Bulls would win three more titles in '96, '97 and '98. Game 4 of the Celtics-Magic first round series
marked the final NBA game played in the legendary Boston Garden. However, it would be seven years before the Celtics returned to
the playoffs, this time in the new FleetCenter (now TD Garden). Game 3 of the Blazers-Suns series was the last game ever played at
the Memorial Coliseum. The Blazers continued their playoff streak at Rose Garden for the next seven years. The Indiana Pacers made
it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year (and finally defeated the New York Knicks on their way to doing
so), but this time found the Magic too powerful to overcome as they had the previous year. Coincidentally, in this postseason the
Pacers met all three of the playoff opponents (Orlando, Atlanta and New York) as they had the previous year-- just in a different order.
The Utah Jazz became just the second team (along with the 1994 Seattle SuperSonics) to win at least 60 regular season games, only to
lose in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, when they were felled by the eventual NBA champion Houston Rockets.
50) 1996: Chicago Bulls vs. Seatle Supersonics 4-2: Was Bulls 1st championship after 3 years. By capturing their fourth
championship, the Bulls put a cap on what many consider the greatest season in NBA history, as they finished a record 72-10 in the
regular season, eclipsing the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers' record of 69-13. It was also redemption for Jordan after his first return to
the playoffs the previous year and the Bulls' disappointing second-round loss to Orlando, a team that would go on to be swept in the
NBA Finals. With Jordan leading the way, this year's Bulls would sweep the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning the four
games by an average of 17 points, en route to an unprecedented combined record of 87-13 in regular season and postseason play. For
the SuperSonics, it was their first trip to the NBA Finals since winning the championship in 1979, and helped vindicate them as well
after their startling first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets two years previous (the first time an eighth-seeded team had defeated a top
seed in the playoffs). This was the Sacramento Kings' first playoff appearance since 1986, but would be Mitch Richmond's only
playoff appearance as a King (he previously appeared twice in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriors in 1989 and 1991). The
Kings would not make it back until 1999, which began their seven-year string of playoff appearances. As for the two-time defending
NBA champion Houston Rockets, their quest for a three-peat was thwarted by the eventual Western Conference champion
Supersonics. The Supersonics swept the Rockets 4-0 in the Western conference semifinals. The Supersonics were also the last team to
defeat the Rockets in the playoffs, before their two-year championship run, during the 1993 Western Conference Semi-finals (Sonics
won in seven games). After the Los Angeles Lakers' first round loss to the Rockets, Magic Johnson retired for good following a brief
in-season comeback. Though the Utah Jazz fell in seven games to the Supersonics in the Western Conference Finals (their third
appearance in five years), in retrospect it kick-started their own Finals run, which they ultimately accomplished in 1997 and 1998, but
lost both times to the Bulls. As for the Magic, it ended an era of dominance for the team, as Shaquille O'Neal joined the Lakers the
following season. The Magic would not have another 50-win season, division title and first round playoff series victory until 2008,
followed the season afterward by an eastern conference championship and the franchise's second NBA finals appearance in 2009 to
which they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
51) 1997: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz 4-2: In Game 5, Michael Jordan, the star player on the Chicago Bulls, was sick and
weakened due to a stomach virus. But that didn't matter to Jordan as he still managed to score 38 points. Soon, Jordan would capture
his fifth NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, bringing the Bulls to their fifth title in seven years. Not to be forgotten is Jordan's
buzzer beater in Game 1, and his pass to Steve Kerr for the latter's crucial series-clinching jumper in Game 6. This was the Bulls
second championship in a row, and fifth overall (They would complete a three-peat by defeating the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA
Finals). This was the first Western Conference championship for the Jazz in their 22-year history. The Miami Heat's run to the Eastern
Conference Finals marked the farthest the franchise had reached in the playoffs up to that point; they would not return to the East
Finals until 2005, but would win the NBA Championship in 2006. The Minnesota Timberwolves made their playoff debut after failing
to win more than 30 games in any of their first seven seasons. For them, it was also the first of seven consecutive seasons in which
they would make the playoffs only to lose in the opening round. This was the first (and as of 2010, only) instance since the ABA-NBA
merger prior to the 1976-77 season that none of the four former ABA teams (San Antonio, Denver, Indiana, New Jersey) managed to
make the playoffs, even more remarkable considering the rarity with which the Spurs have missed the playoffs at all (as of 2010, only
four times since the merger). It was also the first season in which all four of the 1988 and 1989 expansion teams (Minnesota, Miami,
Orlando and Charlotte) made the playoffs. This would happen again in 2001. The two #8 seeds in this tournament (the Washington
Bullets and Los Angeles Clippers) broke long playoff droughts with their appearances in the 1997 playoffs. (The Bullets' last playoff
appearance had been in 1988; the Clippers', in 1993). Unfortunately for both teams, it would be a long time before either would appear
in the playoffs again; the renamed Wizards made their return in 2005; the Clippers in 2006. Game 4 of the Atlanta Hawks-Chicago
Bulls Conference Semifinals series was the last game played at The Omni. The Hawks home playoff games for 1998 and 1999 were
played at Georgia Dome while the Omni was demolished to make way for Philips Arena. Game 3 of the Bulls-Bullets was the last
game ever played at the Capital Centre (was named US Air Arena at the time).
52) 1998: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz 4-2: The Chicago Bulls held a 3–2 lead but nearly lost Game 6. Michael Jordan made two
key baskets in the final minute for a one-point win and the championship. It would be Jordan's last game for the Bulls. Was Bulls 6 th
championship tin the decade and was the 2nd in a row. The Bulls had also achieved a second threepeat, a feat unrivaled since the
Boston Celtics of 1966. The 1998 playoffs were the last involving the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls (the Bulls would not return to
the playoffs until 2005). The Indiana Pacers pushed the Bulls to the very limit in the Eastern Conference Finals, becoming one of only
two teams to force Chicago to a Game 7 in the Bulls' championship years (the New York Knicks achieved this in 1992). This Pacers
team was later named by Pacers.com as the greatest Pacers team in franchise history, even better than the 2000 team that won the
Eastern Conference championship. The New Jersey Nets appeared in the playoffs for the first time since 1994, but would not appear
again until 2002. Their presence was a mere asterisk compared to what they would accomplish in 2002, getting swept by the eventual
champion Bulls. The Cleveland Cavaliers made their last playoff appearance (1-3 loss to the Pacers in the first round) and would not
appear again until 2006 under LeBron James.
53) 1999: San Antonio Spurs vs. NY Knicks(8th seed) 4-1: The Knicks, who fell to the San Antonio Spurs in 5, made NBA history
by becoming the first (and to this date, the only) 8th seed to ever make the NBA Finals. San Antonio Spurs become the first former
ABA team to win NBA Finals. The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's
1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded
Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one. The 1999 playoffs are memorable for the fact that a number eight
seed made it to the Finals for the only time in history, as well as the fact that it came after a lockout-shortened fifty game season. The
1999 playoffs featured the Philadelphia 76ers' first trip to the postseason since their 1991 second-round playoff loss to the Chicago
Bulls, and their first appearance since drafting Allen Iverson with the first overall pick in 1996. Iverson would later lead the Sixers to
the 2001 NBA Finals. The Bulls, despite being defending champions, failed to make the playoffs (owing mostly to the retirement of
Michael Jordan). The Milwaukee Bucks also ended a long playoff drought in this tournament, advancing to the postseason for the first
time since 1991. After losing their Eastern Conference semifinal series to the Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks would not return to the
playoffs until 2008. Game 5 of the Knicks-Pacers series would be the last NBA game ever played at Market Square Arena. For the
first time since 1991, no series went the full seven games. After spending their first 13 seasons in mediocrity (two playoff appearances
in 1986 and 1996), the Sacramento Kings would make the first of eight straight playoff appearances, which would include a trip to the
Western Conference Finals in 2002.
54) 2000: LA Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers 4-2: Was 1st LA victory in 12 years. The Los Angeles Lakers, under new head coach Phil
Jackson, are led to a 67–15 regular season record, and to a Finals appearance against Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. Shaquille
O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Glen Rice led the Lakers to the franchise's 12th championship, with Shaquille O'Neal winning the Finals
MVP trophy, averaging 38 points and 16.6 rebounds. The Lakers could have easily have gone to a Game 7, but Shaq along with
teammates Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice scored a combined 83 points to win Game 6 in Los Angeles, 116 to 111. The 2000 NBA
Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with
the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern
Conference champion Indiana Pacers four games to two. The Lakers' win marked the first championship for both Shaquille O'Neal
and Kobe Bryant, both considered to be future first-ballot Hall of Famers, and it was the 11th Lakers win in the post-Magic Johnson,
post-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era. A. C. Green from the Lakers Showtime era was in the starting lineup for this team as well. This
playoffs is also noted for the late game 7 double-digit collapse of the Portland Trail Blazers. An explanation for this collapse due to
referee manipulation is given in Tim Donaghy's book Personal Foul. For the Pacers it was their first Eastern Conference championship
after four previous appearances in the Eastern Conference finals; however after this season the team would be radically altered with
key players Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Derrick McKey and Mark Jackson moving on to other teams (or in the case of Smits, retiring).
Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was the last game Patrick Ewing ever played as a member of the New York Knicks. The
2000 playoffs marked the postseason debut of the five-year-old expansion Toronto Raptors.
55) 2001: Minneapolis/ LA Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1 Was Lakers 2nd consecutive victory. This was the 76er's first
appearance in the championship round since Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 squad to the NBA championship
(coincidently, last defeating the Lakers) in the famous "'fo, fo', fo'" year (which ended up being "fo', fi', fo", as Philadelphia lost one
second-round game that year). However, this was the Laker's turn to put together the most dominant postseason in league history,
finishing 15-1 with their only setback being an overtime loss to the Sixers in Game 1 of the championship round. The Lakers set a
multitude of playoff records, including going undefeated in both regulation and on the road (finishing an unprecedented 8-0 in the
latter category). They were the second NBA champion to defeat 4 successive 50-win or better teams on their way to the title as the
Houston Rockets did it first in 1995. This team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time along with the 1967
Philadelphia 76ers, 1972 Los Angeles Lakers, 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, 1986 Boston Celtics, 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, 1989 Detroit
Pistons and the 1996 Chicago Bulls. The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the surprise teams of the playoffs, winning a playoff series for
the first time since 1989 and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1986. As of 2010, however, they have
been unable to duplicate this feat. The Dallas Mavericks also ended years of futility in the 2001 playoffs, making the postseason for
the first time since 1990. Along the way they had had several abysmal seasons including back-to-back years with only 11 and 13 wins.
By stunning the Utah Jazz in the first round, the Mavericks won their first playoff series since 1988. Reunion Arena, the Mavs' home
court for 21 years, hosted its last game (Game 4 of the second round against the San Antonio Spurs); the Mavs moved to American
Airlines Center in 2001. The Sacramento Kings won their first playoff series since 1981 (when they were then known as the Kansas
City Kings) and first since the franchise moved to Sacramento. The Toronto Raptors won their first playoff series in franchise history
with a 3-2 series win over the New York Knicks, but fell in seven games to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The total
of number of playoff games in the NBA Playoffs is 72, including the NBA Finals. For the first time since 1991, the New York Knicks
failed to win a first round playoff series (losing to the Toronto Raptors 3 games to 2). This was the 76er's first appearance in the
championship round since Moses Malone and Julius Erving led the 1983 squad to the NBA championship (coincidently, last defeating
the Lakers) in the famous "'fo, fo', fo'" year (which ended up being "fo', fi', fo", as Philadelphia lost one second-round game that year).
However, this was the Laker's turn to put together the most dominant postseason in league history, finishing 15-1 with their only
setback being an overtime loss to the Sixers in Game 1 of the championship round. The Lakers set a multitude of playoff records,
including going undefeated in both regulation and on the road (finishing an unprecedented 8-0 in the latter category). They were the
second NBA champion to defeat 4 successive 50-win or better teams on their way to the title as the Houston Rockets did it first in
1995. This team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time along with the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, 1972 Los Angeles
Lakers, 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, 1986 Boston Celtics, 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, 1989 Detroit Pistons and the 1996 Chicago Bulls.
The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the surprise teams of the playoffs, winning a playoff series for the first time since 1989 and
advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1986. As of 2010, however, they have been unable to duplicate this
feat. The Dallas Mavericks also ended years of futility in the 2001 playoffs, making the postseason for the first time since 1990. Along
the way they had had several abysmal seasons including back-to-back years with only 11 and 13 wins. By stunning the Utah Jazz in
the first round, the Mavericks won their first playoff series since 1988. Reunion Arena, the Mavs' home court for 21 years, hosted its
last game (Game 4 of the second round against the San Antonio Spurs); the Mavs moved to American Airlines Center in 2001. The
Sacramento Kings won their first playoff series since 1981 (when they were then known as the Kansas City Kings) and first since the
franchise moved to Sacramento. The Toronto Raptors won their first playoff series in franchise history with a 3-2 series win over the
New York Knicks, but fell in seven games to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The total of number of playoff games in
the NBA Playoffs is 72, including the NBA Finals. For the first time since 1991, the New York Knicks failed to win a first round
playoff series (losing to the Toronto Raptors 3 games to 2).
56) 2002: LA Lakers vs. NJ. Nets 4-0: The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the New Jersey Nets to complete a Three Peat, becoming
only the 5th team to accomplish this feat. This would be the final postseason that held best-of-5 first-round series; next year's
postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format. This tournament marked the return of playoff success for the Boston
Celtics, who had last made the playoffs in 1995, and had made their last Eastern Conference finals appearance in 1988. Though they
would eventually lose to the New Jersey Nets in six games (avoiding a possible Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals), they did manage to
create the biggest fourth quarter playoff comeback in Game 3, winning 94-90 after trailing by as much as 21 prior to the fourth quarter.
The playoffs also marked the last appearance of the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs, as they moved the next year to New Orleans. It
was also the last playoff game held at Charlotte Coliseum (Game 4 of second round vs. New Jersey Nets); Charlotte's new team, the
Charlotte Bobcats, played for a season at the Coliseum (without hosting a playoff game) before moving to Time Warner Cable Arena
(formerly Bobcats Arena) in 2005. The city would not host a playoff game again until 2010. For the first time in his career, Michael
Jordan missed the postseason. The total number of playoff games for the NBA was 70 games including the NBA Finals.
57) 2003: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Jersey Nets 4-2: The San Antonio Spurs defeat the New Jersey Nets 4-2, clinching their 2nd
NBA title. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only
time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series. From 1984 to 2002, first-round series were best-of-5 series. This
is also the first time that the NBA Playoffs would carry more games on cable television, and carry less games on regular broadcast
television. This also mark the debut for the NBA Playoffs to be aired on NBA TV, and the return broadcast on ESPN & ABC after the
NBA departed from NBC and TBS stations. The Detroit Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the
Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars-led team were swept by the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 series, ending the Pistons' quest for a third
consecutive title. The Dallas Mavericks also ended a long conference finals drought by making it to the third round of the playoffs for
the first time since 1988.
58) 2004: Detroit Pistons vs. LA Lakers 4-1: Detroit Pistons defeat the favored Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. The Pistons won Game 1,
3, 4 and 5. This was the first time a team without home court advantage had won all 3 of their home games in the 2-3-2 format.
Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in sevengame series, with the team with the better record holding home court advantage. The Minnesota Timberwolves, after missing the
playoffs their first seven seasons and losing in the first round the next seven years, won their first two playoff series in 2004 before
falling to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since
their NBA Finals run in 2000, after which they significantly changed the makeup of their team (yet continued to make the playoffs
every year). Reggie Miller's clutch three-point shooting wasn't enough. Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series with the
Pistons proved to be pivotal, as Tayshaun Prince blocked an easy lay-up by Miller late in the game to preserve the victory for the
Pistons; the Pistons won in six games. The 2004 playoffs marked the first postseason appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies in their
nine-year history which began as the Vancouver Grizzlies. 2004 also saw the Utah Jazz missing the playoffs for the first time since
1983. The Portland Trail Blazers missed the playoffs after qualifying the previous 21 seasons. This was the first playoff appearance
for the Denver Nuggets since the 1994–95 season. The New Orleans Hornets made their final postseason appearance as a member of
the Eastern Conference. They would not make the postseason again until 2008, as a member of the Western Conference (the result of a
realignment with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004-05 NBA season). Their playoff series with the Miami Heat, led by
Dwyane Wade, was the last playoff series where the home team won all seven games until 2008's Boston-Atlanta and BostonCleveland playoff series. 2004 also marked the first time in 14 years that all Texas teams made the playoffs, and the second time (first
in 10 years) that all former ABA teams made the playoffs.
59) 2005: San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons 4-3: San Antonio Spurs 4–3 over the Detroit Pistons. The first four games were
blowouts for the home team, but Game 5 was a very tight game in a scene reminiscent of the 1976 Finals. Robert Horry of the Spurs
hit a three-pointer at the end of the overtime period for a 96–95 win and a 3-2 lead in the series. The San Antonio Spurs, the number
two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons.
The Spurs' Tim Duncan was named Finals MVP. The NBA Finals marked the first time since 1987 that the two previous champions
met in the Finals (the Spurs won in 2003, the Pistons in 2004). For the Spurs it wasn't their third championship (they also won in the
strike-shortened season of 1999). The Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls both ended long playoff droughts in 2005 (and drew
each other as a first-round matchup). For Washington it was their first playoff appearance since 1997 (and even more ironic their
opponents for that postseason appearance were the Bulls who swept them 3-0 on their way to the NBA Title), and only their third
since 1988. Their 4-2 series victory over the Bulls marked the Wizards' first playoff series win since 1982, a drought of 23 years. The
Miami Heat became the first team to go 8-0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs (the first round having been made into a bestof-seven in the 2003 NBA Playoffs). The 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2010 Orlando Magic would follow suit. No team, however,
has made the finals after going 8-0 in the first two playoff rounds, let alone winning 12 straight playoff games going to the finals. It
was the Bulls' first post-Michael Jordan playoff appearance, as their last playoff game had been the winning game of the NBA Finals
in 1998. In the years between, the Bulls had consistently placed at or near the bottom of the Central Division, but their 47-35 season in
2005 marked a 24-game improvement from the previous year. For the 3rd straight year (5th overall) the Indiana Pacers met the Boston
Celtics in the first round. Boston prevailed in 2003 in six games, while Indiana swept Boston in 2004. It would be Boston's last
postseason appearance before their 2008 title-winning season. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it marked the first time in eleven seasons
(dating back to 1994) and the fifth time in NBA history that they were not included in the playoffs. This was the last time that the
Seattle SuperSonics would be in the playoffs as the SuperSonics before they had relocated to Oklahoma to become the Oklahoma City
Thunder.
60) 2006: Miami Heat vs. Dalla Mavericks 4-2: The Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games, with Dwyane Wade
garnering MVP honors after averaging 34.7 points per game. The title marked the first championship for aging legends Gary Payton
and Alonzo Mourning. It also marked the fourth for Shaquille O'Neal and the fifth for coach Pat Riley, both of whom had not
previously won a title outside of Los Angeles. Was Heat’s 1st championship. The Heat's Dwyane Wade was named Finals MVP. The
Los Angeles Clippers were one of the playoffs' biggest surprises in 2006, as they not only made the playoffs for the first time since
1997 but they advanced to the second round for the first time since 1976, when they were the Buffalo Braves. They came within one
game of making it to the conference finals for the first time ever, but lost Game 7 to the Phoenix Suns. 2006 marked the playoff debut
of Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, who helped the Cavs eke out one-point overtime victories over the Washington
Wizards in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance to the second round. It was the Cavaliers' first playoff appearance
since 1998, and they earned their first playoff series win since 1993. Against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion
Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers were routed in Game 1 of the semifinal series and lost by six in Game 2 before coming back to win the
following three games and come within one game of handing the Pistons a playoff defeat. The Pistons recovered and won the last two
games of the series for a seven-game series win.
61) 2007: San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0: The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers with a sweep.
This was their 4th NBA title in 8 years. There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams
seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in the playoffs. Nevertheless, the
team with the better record in a match-up had home court advantage. Spurs won 4th championship in last 9 years. The Spurs' Tony
Parker being named Finals MVP.
62) 2008: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers 4-2: The Boston Celtics ended their 22-year title drought with a six-game victory over the
Los Angeles Lakers. There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a
bracket. The team with the better record was not necessarily the basis of seeding teams in the playoffs. Nevertheless, the team with the
better record in a match-up had home court advantage. The playoffs were noted for the return of the Atlanta Hawks into postseason
action after nine years of absence, taking the #1 seed Boston Celtics into a full seven games before bowing out. Also notable was the
race for the Western Conference home court advantage, eventually won by the Los Angeles Lakers who emerged as the Western
Conference champions; the debut of the Chris Paul-led New Orleans Hornets in the playoffs after Hurricane Katrina and their 7-game
series against defending champions San Antonio Spurs; and the Lakers' and Celtics' revitalization of their franchises, most especially
after key trades during the pre-season and regular season. The Celtics ended up playing in 26 postseason games (2 games short of a
full length postseason of 28), breaking the 25 game record of both the 1994 New York Knicks, whom Celtics Coach Doc Rivers
played for, and the 2005 Detroit Pistons, by one game for the record of most postseason games in a single season played by a single
NBA team.[1] The Knicks, however, only played a Best-of-5 First Round playoff series, and so had two fewer games to accomplish
that feat. The two number one seeds, the Lakers and the Celtics, disputed the NBA championship, reviving their old rivalry, last
played in the 1987 Finals. Also, it marked the first time since 2000 that both top seeds from each Conference met in the Finals.
63) 2009: LA Lakers vs. Orlando Magic 4-1: Phil Jackson won his 10th championship as a head coach, his 4th with the Los
Angeles Lakers, surpassing Red Auerbach for the all time NBA record. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences
qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The Los Angeles Lakers
clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with 65 wins in the regular season. However, the playoffs seedings below #1 were
unable to be determined until the final day of the regular season with four teams still in contention to clinch three of the top four seeds
and the home court advantage in the first round. The Cleveland Cavaliers finished with 66 wins in the regular season to clinch the
number one seed in the Eastern Conference. They also won the Central Division for the first time in 33 years, and earned the home
court advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Lakers and the number three seed in the Eastern
Conference, the Orlando Magic, advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals, with the Lakers holding the home court advantage in the Finals.
The Lakers beat the Magic 4–1 in the NBA Finals to win their 15th NBA championship. The Boston Celtics lost a best-of-seven series
after leading 3-2 for the first time after 32 tries, courtesy of the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Semifinals. Prior to that, their first round
series with the Chicago Bulls set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. The Houston
Rockets won a first-round series for the first time since 1997. They would push the eventual champion Lakers to a Game 7 before
losing. The Atlanta Hawks likewise won a first round series for the first time since 1999, but they were swept by the Cleveland
Cavaliers after enduring a tough seven-game series with the Miami Heat, who made the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. And
the Denver Nuggets won a playoff series for the first time since 1994, eventually reaching their first conference final since 1985. As
for the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, they failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2000. The Pistons
were swept by the Cavaliers, while the Spurs fell to the Dallas Mavericks in five games. The Portland Trail Blazers made the playoffs
for the first time since 2003, but for the fourth straight postseason, they were eliminated in the first round, courtesy of the Houston
Rockets in six games.
64) 2010: LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics 4-3: Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7 (83-79) to once again win
back-to-back championships. The Lakers came back from multiple deficits, including a long span in which they were down by 13
points in the 3rd quarter, to win another championship. Kobe Bryant earned the finals MVP. Eight teams from each of the league's two
conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The
Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference by posting their second consecutive (and second ever) 60-win
season; they also won the Central Division for the second year in a row. They also clinched the best record in the NBA on April 5,
which guaranteed them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. For the second time in three seasons and the first time since the
2008 postseason, all 8 Western Conference playoff teams had at least 50 wins. The 7 games separating 1 from 8 was also tied for the
smallest margin, also from the 2008 playoffs. Cleveland's 61 in the NBA was the least win total for the best record since the Indiana
Pacers won 61 games in 2003–04.[2] The Cavaliers' second round playoff exit (2–4 vs. Boston Celtics) was the earliest for the top seed
since the Dallas Mavericks' first round loss to the Golden State Warriors in 2007. Several teams would also avenge previous losses by
defeating teams who defeated them in recent years. The Spurs would defeat the Mavericks who defeated them twice in the previous 4
seasons. The Cavaliers would defeat the Bulls for the first time since The Shot. The Suns would defeat the Spurs who won the
previous 4 meetings in the last decade. The Lakers would defeat the Suns who defeated them in the first round in 2006 and 2007. The
Celtics would defeat the Magic who eliminated them last year. And in the finals, the Lakers defeated the Celtics who defeated them in
the 2008 finals. Game 5 of the Magic-Celtics Conference Finals was the last game played at Amway Arena (formerly Orlando Arena
and TD Waterhouse Centre). The Magic, who last year upset the top-seeded Cavaliers in six games after they went 8-0 through the
first two rounds, also went 8-0 through two playoff series, only to suffer the same fate as the Cavaliers last year, losing to the Celtics
in six games. The Charlotte Bobcats made their first playoff appearance in franchise history. However, they failed to win a single
playoff game in a loss to the Magic in the first round. The Celtics-Cavaliers second round series marked the first time that each team
lost a home playoff game by record margins: the Celtics lost by 29, 124-95, in Game 3 (May 7), while the Cavaliers lost by 32, 120-88,
in Game 5 (May 11). The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first playoff appearance under that name; their last appearance was 2005
as the Seattle Supersonics. Games 3, 4 and 6 were the first playoff games played at Ford Center (the arena's former tenants, the New
Orleans Hornets, didn't play a single playoff game in the building). The Thunder (and especially Kevin Durant) would make the most
of their debut playoff appearance, pushing the eventual champion Lakers to six games. The Dallas Mavericks would hold the dubious
distinction of losing three first round series while holding the top two playoff seeds. The Mavericks lost to the seventh-seeded San
Antonio Spurs in six games. They have also lost a playoff series against the Seattle Supersonics (1987, as the second seed) and the
Golden State Warriors (2007, as the top seed).