Game 1 averaged only a 4.1 rating and 7.41 million viewers on ABC, "comfortably the lowest rated and least-watched NBA Finals game on record (dates back to 1988)," Sports Media Watch reported. [3] For that and his earlier efforts in the series, he was named the Finals MVP, cementing his nickname "Big Game James". A key factor was Laker guard Michael Cooper; he had been mired in a terrible shooting slump all series, but suddenly caught fire, hitting three 3-point baskets. Pistons vs. Celtics, 102-96 OT, Box Score - 1988 Playoffs Stats from the NBA game played between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics on June 01, 1988 with result, scoring by period and players. Up Next in News. 1988's controversial Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins dunk contest final needs a deep rewind. After another Pistons' turnover, Michael Cooper had a chance to essentially clinch the victory after being fouled, but he missed both free throws, and the Lakers' lead remained at five. Wade shot 21 free throws in this game alone (he shot close to a hundred throughout the series), and the most controversial pair came from a blocking foul called on Nowitzki with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth. There’s no denying that Laimbeer made contact on the play, but to say that this was a soft foul call — at this crucial juncture in the game and in the series — would be an understatement. $33.99. Michael Jordan drives toward the paint, stops, dribbles back, nudges Bryon Russell. The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1987-88 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. They also had a 15-game winning streak from December 11, 1987 until the Lakers were beaten by the LA Clippers (109-110) on January 13, 1988. It wasn't just that the Milwaukee Bucks had run his Suns off the floor in Game 3 of the NBA Finals (final score: 120-100, but the margin felt even greater). Or write about sports? Saturday, February 25th 2017. There have been plenty of memorable playoff matchups throughout the NBA’s existence mostly because of the grueling competitive basketball between two equally deserving clubs. According to this conspiracy, the NBA wanted Miami to win the 2006 NBA Finals the entire time and did whatever they could to help make that happen. This time, the Pistons were the better team, eliminating the Celtics in six games for their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956. This foul has remained controversial to the Pistons and their fans, who claim that Laimbeer never made contact with Jabbar on his shot attempt. James Worthy: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7. Victor R. Lopez M. ANALYST. Then again, the mere fact that the conspiracy theories point to the fact that the NBA wanted to stretch out this series to a Game 7 (the viewership ratings were through the roof) made it clear that this series deserves on our spot here today. With Magic out of the game, the Pistons built a substantial lead. Magic Johnson then hit a free throw after a Rodman foul to put the Lakers up by three. See for yourself: Fast forward a decade or so and we have yet another controversial playoff series involving the Lakers in almost the same exact situation. It was awesome.". "1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results", https://www.nba.com/top-nba-finals-moments-isiah-thomas-game-6-ankle-1988-finals, http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=BestFinalsGame-Individual-3, Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1988_NBA_Finals&oldid=1032727175, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Sports competitions in Inglewood, California, June 1988 sports events in the United States, Pages using Template:College with unsupported name, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 July 2021, at 08:21. Los Angeles Lakers Mitchell & Ness Hardwood Classics 1988 NBA Finals Patch Snapback Hat - Purple/Gold - OSFA. This rivalry was fueled by the success of both teams—the Lakers and Pistons met in the NBA Finals three different times in 1988, 1989, and 2004—and for the contrasting styles in play by the . He went on to say, "Forty-one thousand people waving towels and standing. September 27, 2021 toekneetv Leave a Comment on 1991 Skybox Michael vs Magic #333 PSA 9 MINT - Jordan - Johnson - NBA Finals Buy on eBay Price: 37.95 USD Thomas tried to run upcourt, but collapsed while the Lakers scored again. Only PF/C Kevin Willis (1992 NBA All-Star and 1991-92 3rd team All-NBA with Atlanta) played more career games (1,331) before making it to the finals with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003 at age 40 . With Magic still battling the flu, the Lakers got a key win in Detroit, 99–86, to go up 2–1 in games. It would prove to be the only triple-double in Worthy's Hall of Fame career. The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns met in this game, with the series tied at two games apiece. Hell Yes. Johnson was doubtful to participate in Game 2 of the 1988 NBA Finals after getting sick and skipping practice on Wednesday. The Lakers fashioned the NBA's best record at 62-20, with Byron Scott (21.7 ppg) and James Worthy (19.7) assuming a greater . But, the delay between halves caused the ankle to stiffen, and Thomas played little in the second half. The questions coming into the 1988 season were perhaps the same as usual. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, one particular NBA team had established an incredible legacy: the Los Angeles Lakers. Dick Stockton and Billy Cunningham served as the play-by-play announcer and color analyst respectively. 1976 NBA final or 2021 NBA final?. They came back from a 2–1 deficit against the Utah Jazz in the semifinals round before beating them in Game 7. 38.2M . Yes, his Pistons held a 3-1 playoff series edge over Jordan and the Bulls from 1988-91, and Detroit was 1-1 in the Finals vs. Johnson and LA. By late Tuesday afternoon, ESPN had also scrubbed . Mahorn, Rodman, Salley, Dantley, Laimbeer… Worthy had a beast of an opponent to get through and be effective against. Most NBA fans remember Michael Jordan's flu game against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. James Worthy led the Lakers with 26 points, Byron Scott had 24, and Magic Johnson 23 despite battling the flu. But that approach soon backfired, as the Laker big men got into foul trouble. Subscribe to our Free Newsletter, This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. Find out more. NBA History - 1988 Awards Award: The 1987–88 season marked a further ascension for the franchise, as Detroit won the Central Division title with a 54–28 record. One of the most famous nights of Jordan's career -- the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest -- was captured . They had the ball in their possession, and then-Lakers head coach Pat Riley drew up a play that would see the ball get to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the post. The Nichols-Taylor controversy also sucked the NBA into its vacuum as Commissioner Adam Silver was forced to comment at the pre-Finals press conference on two people who, at last check, weren't on either of the Phoenix or Milwaukee rosters. Without a doubt, this series was one to remember. The Lakers called timeout, and on the next possession, Byron Scott drove by Thomas from the top of the key and hit a 14-footer from the right elbow to cut the lead to one with 45 seconds left. Michael Jordan's 52nd birthday is Tuesday, just three days after the NBA held its Slam Dunk Contest. 1981 NBA Finals: A interview and racial controversy. In the 3rd quarter, the Lakers, inspired by Finals MVP James Worthy and Byron Scott (14 3rd-quarter points), exploded as they built a 10-point lead entering the final period. The Blazers gave up a 15-point lead in the fourth and final period, which is considered by many as one of the best comebacks in playoffs history, but as conspiracy theorists would have it, not without a little help from the officials. With the NBA All-Star game back in Chicago for the first time since then, NBC Sports Chicago interviewed participants and a judge, observers with ties to the event and future dunkers either . [2] Abdul-Jabbar then proceeded to sink two high-pressure free throws providing the Lakers with a one point lead. August 29, 2014. Then again, Jordan’s open palm is clearly seen on Russell’s behind, so there’s no denying that at the very least, Jordan transferred some of his momentum to Russell. In front of their home fans, the Pistons tied the series at 2–2 with a 111–86 win. Midway through the season, Detroit gained a valuable backup to Laimbeer and Mahorn when they acquired James Edwards. After a scramble, Scott came up with the ball for the Lakers and was shoved out of bounds by Rodman, inciting a near-fight, with 5 seconds left on the clock. 1988 NBA Finals Similar to the 2002 WCF detailed above, the controversy in the 1988 NBA Finals also did not take place in the deciding Game 7. Are you a Stathead, too? Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history. The second brackets indicate the number of times that teams have appeared in an NBA Finals as well as each respective team's NBA Finals record to date. 1988 NBA Playoffs Summary 1987 Playoffs Summary 1989 Playoffs Summary. Modified 08 May 2021. Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only members of all 5 Lakers championship teams from the 1980s. 1988 NBA Finals- Lakers at Pistons Gm 5 part 10-13.ogv download. Now whether or not this was worthy of being called an offensive foul — clearly the referees at that time did not think so — is an altogether different matter. The postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-88 season. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Lakers took 37 free-throw attempts as compared to the Blazers’ 16 attempts. It also featured two of the biggest stars in their prime with Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. Fresh off the unparalleled success of ESPN and Netflix’s “The Last Dance,” we just couldn’t afford not to put this one in here. 1988 NBA Finals- Lakers at Pistons Gm 5 part 13-13.ogv . Some NBA team owners display such a low . San Antonio Spurs Mitchell & Ness Hardwood Classics 2005 NBA Finals Patch Snapback Hat - Black/Silver - OSFA. Ex-Celtics staffer disputes Isiah Thomas's claim in 'Last Dance' about the 1988 team walking off in playoffs By Adam Himmelsbach Globe Staff, Updated April 27, 2020, 6:50 p.m. Email to a Friend 39.0M . Clearly, there's a theme and it's a part of the fabric of the NBA playoffs. Here is another look at that glorious moment: The 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings will go down in history as one of, if not the most controversial playoff series in the history of the league. Do you have a blog? Finals. After the season, Cunningham left CBS to join the Miami Heat ownership group, and Hubie Brown was promoted the following season. Despite badly twisting his ankle midway through the period, Thomas scored an NBA Finals record 25 third-quarter points, as Detroit fell valiantly, 103–102, to the Lakers at the Forum. The 1988 NBA Finals: With Dick Stockton, Billy Cunningham, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Brown. Vinnie Johnson came off the bench to add 16 while James Edwards had 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. Thomas still managed to score 10 first-half points in Game 7, as Detroit built a 5-point lead. With 3:54 left, Salley canned two free throws to cut the Laker lead to 98–92, making the Forum fans nervous. The Pistons left the Pontiac Silverdome after the 1987–88 season and moved into The Palace of Auburn Hills for the 1988-89 NBA season. The 2016 NBA Finals series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors will forever go down in history as one of the most exciting Finals series in the record books of the NBA, as the Cavaliers managed to scrape back from 3-1 down to a 73-9 team to capture their first . 1988 NBA Finals Lakers vs. Pistons (Complete - All 7 Games) (James Worthy MVP) Game 6: Isiah's legendary 43 pt (25 in the 4th quarter) game on a bad ankle (C quality) 1989 NBA Finals Pistons vs. Lakers (Complete - All 4 Games) (Joe Dumars MVP) Game 4 is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's last NBA game (C quality); Note that I also have Pistons parade (90 . Mike Breen, Self: The 2010 NBA Finals. The decision comes after the New York Times published a report on Sunday . Playoffs Summary 1989 Playoffs Summary Joe Dumars the trapping Lakers defense, Dantley, Worthy. 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