# 1987 NBA playoffs

The 1987 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986–87 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers earned their 10th NBA championship, and Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for a then-record third time.
This was the last time the Celtics would appear in the NBA Finals until 2008. Boston only advanced as far as the Conference Finals twice in that stretch: losing the following year to the Detroit Pistons in six games and in 2002 to the New Jersey Nets, also in 6 games.
The Pistons appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals was the franchise's first (and their first Division/Conference Final appearance since 1962). It would be the first of five straight Conference Finals appearances for Detroit. They would make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 the following season, the first of 3 straight trips to the Finals (winning the last 2).
The Warriors & Pacers made their first playoff appearances since 1977 and 1981 respectively. The Pacers also won their first NBA playoff game, in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hawks.
Game 5 of the Philadelphia/Milwaukee series would the final game in the amazing career of Julius Erving.
By beating Dallas 3–1, the SuperSonics became the first #7 seed to defeat a #2 seed since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984. They reached the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the Lakers. As of 2024, they are the most recent team with a sub-.500 record (39–43) to win a playoff series. The 1989 & 1991 Warriors, 1998 Knicks, 2010 Spurs and 2023 Lakers were the other 7th seeds to beat the 2nd seed.
One of the most memorable moments of the playoffs occurred in the final moments of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals when, with Boston down 107–106, Isiah Thomas had his inbounds pass stolen by Larry Bird, who passed to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.
The only dent in the Lakers' run to the Finals came in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Warriors, when Sleepy Floyd scored a playoff record 39 points in the second half, with a record 29 coming in the fourth quarter, to seal a 129–121 win. Both records still stand.
This was last time a 7 seed went to the Western Conference Finals until 2023 when the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in 4 games.

## Bracket

| First Round | First Round | First Round | | | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| E1 | Boston* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Chicago | 0 | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E4 | Milwaukee | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Milwaukee | 3 | | | E4 | Milwaukee | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 2 | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Detroit | 3 | | | | |
| E3 | Detroit | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | Detroit | 3 | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 0 | | | E3 | Detroit | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Atlanta* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Atlanta* | 3 | | | E2 | Atlanta* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Indiana | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Indiana | 1 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W8 | Denver | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Denver | 0 | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Golden State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Utah | 2 | | | W5 | Golden State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Golden State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Golden State | 3 | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W7 | Seattle | 0 | | | | |
| W3 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | | | W7 | Seattle | 0 | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 3 | | | W6 | Houston | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W7 | Seattle | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Dallas* | 1 | | | W7 | Seattle | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Seattle | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls

* April 23
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 104, Boston Celtics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–34, 23–32, 26–20, 31–22 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 | Pts: Kevin McHale 21 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Larry Bird 13 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Tommy Nunez Sr., Mike Lauerman
* April 26
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 96, Boston Celtics 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 18–26, 29–26, 19–23 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 42 Rebs: Charles Oakley 15 Asts: Jordan, Threatt 4 each | Pts: Larry Bird 29 Rebs: McHale, Parish 10 each Asts: Larry Bird 8 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Lee Jones
* April 28
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 105, Chicago Bulls 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 23–24, 17–21, 37–21 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 | Pts: Michael Jordan 30 Rebs: Charles Oakley 19 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 |
| Boston wins series, 3–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,122 Referees: Hugh Evans, John Vanak
Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series :
November 14, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 110, Chicago Bulls 98
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
January 2, 1987
Recap
Chicago Bulls 99, Boston Celtics 113
Boston Garden, Boston
January 27, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 105, Chicago Bulls 97
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
January 28, 1987
Recap
Chicago Bulls 103, Boston Celtics 132
Boston Garden, Boston
March 27, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 111, Chicago Bulls 106
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
April 17, 1987
Recap
Chicago Bulls 105, Boston Celtics 108
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Boston Celtics 4, Chicago Bulls 0
1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1986
Boston Celtics 3, Chicago Bulls 0
1986 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (7) Indiana Pacers

* April 24
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 94, Atlanta Hawks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–30, 16–21, 27–35 |||
| Pts: Steve Stipanovich 22 Rebs: Steve Stipanovich 13 Asts: Vern Fleming 6 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 35 Rebs: Tree Rollins 11 Asts: Spud Webb 9 |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,522 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins
* April 26
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 93, Atlanta Hawks 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 23–27, 21–21, 23–23 |||
| Pts: Chuck Person 24 Rebs: Herb Williams 8 Asts: Williams, Fleming 4 each | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 43 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Spud Webb 14 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,522 Referees: Earl Strom, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* April 29
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 87, Indiana Pacers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 21–19, 25–23, 25–27 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 22 Rebs: Kevin Willis 7 Asts: Doc Rivers 10 | Pts: Chuck Person 23 Rebs: Chuck Person 17 Asts: Chuck Person 7 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 12,303 Referees: Jack Madden, Mike Mathis
* May 1
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 101, Indiana Pacers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 27–21, 29–32, 29–24 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 30 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 9 Asts: Doc Rivers 15 | Pts: Chuck Person 40 Rebs: Vern Fleming 11 Asts: Vern Fleming 8 |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–1 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 14,039 Referees: Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford, Lee Jones
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
December 5, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 113, Indiana Pacers 119
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
January 27, 1987
Recap
Indiana Pacers 98, Atlanta Hawks 114
The Omni, Atlanta
February 20, 1987
Recap
Indiana Pacers 107, Atlanta Hawks 105
The Omni, Atlanta
March 3, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 109, Indiana Pacers 108
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
March 28, 1987
Recap
Indiana Pacers 120, Atlanta Hawks 114
The Omni, Atlanta
April 13, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 102, Indiana Pacers 101
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Pacers.

#### (3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Washington Bullets

* April 24
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 92, Detroit Pistons 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 21–31, 28–23, 19–26 |||
| Pts: Terry Catledge 24 Rebs: Malone, Catledge 12 each Asts: Moses Malone 3 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 34 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 10 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 15,419 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* April 26
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 85, Detroit Pistons 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 14–40, 31–29, 18–23 |||
| Pts: Terry Catledge 19 Rebs: Moses Malone 10 Asts: Ennis Whatley 4 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 9 Asts: Vinnie Johnson 13 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 14,389 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins, Bernie Fryer
* April 29
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 97, Washington Bullets 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 27–28, 24–16, 19–25 |||
| Pts: Dantley, Johnson 21 each Rebs: Rick Mahorn 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 | Pts: Moses Malone 31 Rebs: Moses Malone 16 Asts: Michael Adams 8 |
| Detroit wins series, 3–0 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 10,831 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Jess Kersey, James Capers Sr.
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 5, 1986
Recap
Washington Bullets 85, Detroit Pistons 109
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
November 19, 1986
Recap
Detroit Pistons 105, Washington Bullets 119
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
December 12, 1986
Recap
Washington Bullets 116, Detroit Pistons 115
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
December 27, 1986
Recap
Detroit Pistons 107, Washington Bullets 105
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
January 29, 1987
Recap
Washington Bullets 101, Detroit Pistons 112
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 12, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 98, Washington Bullets 103
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Bullets.

#### (4) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

* April 24
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 104, Milwaukee Bucks 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 26–27, 33–34, 20–22 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 21 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 9 each | Pts: Terry Cummings 21 Rebs: Jack Sikma 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 10 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Darell Garretson, Lee Jones
* April 26
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 125, Milwaukee Bucks 122 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 23–22, 29–31, 30–24, Overtime: 17–14 |||
| Pts: Roy Hinson 28 Rebs: Charles Barkley 15 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 | Pts: Ricky Pierce 24 Rebs: Randy Breuer 9 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Mike Mathis, Jess Kersey
* April 29
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 121, Philadelphia 76ers 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–32, 37–38, 36–25 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 26 Rebs: Jack Sikma 12 Asts: John Lucas 9 | Pts: Charles Barkley 39 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 10 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 8 each |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,361
* Jack Sikma gets his shot blocked, jumps back up, catches the ball in mid-air and line-drives it in with 2 seconds left for the game-winner.
* May 1
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 118, Philadelphia 76ers 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–18, 28–34, 23–32, 38–40 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 29 Rebs: Jack Sikma 13 Asts: John Lucas 10 | Pts: Charles Barkley 25 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 11 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 15,464 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
* May 3
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 89, Milwaukee Bucks 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 28–24, 17–21, 22–28 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 24 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Cheeks, Wingate 5 each | Pts: Jack Sikma 18 Rebs: Jack Sikma 21 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–2 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Ed T. Rush
* Julius Erving's final NBA game.
Philadelphia won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 5, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 101, Philadelphia 76ers 107
Spectrum, Philadelphia
December 3, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 110, Philadelphia 76ers 115 (OT)
Spectrum, Philadelphia
December 16, 1986
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Milwaukee Bucks 103
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 21, 1987
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 105, Milwaukee Bucks 102
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
April 15, 1987
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 95, Milwaukee Bucks 128
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee :
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first six meetings.
Philadelphia leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series :
1970
Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1970 Eastern Division Semifinals
1981
Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1982
Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1983
Milwaukee Bucks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1983 Eastern Conference Finals
1985
Milwaukee Bucks 0, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1986
Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Denver Nuggets

* April 23
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 95, Los Angeles Lakers 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–39, 21–43, 20–30, 22–16 |||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen 26 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 13 Asts: Fat Lever 9 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* Magic Johnson hits an 88-foot shot at the buzzer to end the first half.
* April 25
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 127, Los Angeles Lakers 139 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–40, 32–33, 33–32, 39–34 |||
| Pts: Fat Lever 26 Rebs: Fat Lever 10 Asts: Fat Lever 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,297 Referees: Hugh Evans, Bill Saar, Ronnie Nunn
* April 29
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 140, Denver Nuggets 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 44–30, 36–22, 35–25 |||
| Pts: Byron Scott 25 Rebs: A.C. Green 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Alex English 25 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 12 Asts: Alex English 6 |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 15,137 Referees: Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins, Mike Lauerman
Los Angeles won 5–0 in the regular-season series :
November 7, 1986
Recap
Denver Nuggets 116, Los Angeles Lakers 138
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 7, 1987
Recap
Denver Nuggets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 147
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 18, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 128, Denver Nuggets 122
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
March 10, 1987
Recap
Denver Nuggets 107, Los Angeles Lakers 143
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 5, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 126, Denver Nuggets 118
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first two meetings.
Los Angeles leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1979
Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1979 Western Conference First Round
1985
Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1985 Western Conference Finals :

#### (2) Dallas Mavericks vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

* April 23
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 129, Dallas Mavericks 151 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–39, 31–38, 29–43, 41–31 |||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 35 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 13 Asts: Xavier McDaniel 7 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 11 Asts: Brad Davis 9 |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: John Vanak, Jess Kersey, Bruce Alexander
* April 25
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 112, Dallas Mavericks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–34, 29–32, 26–26, 22–18 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 32 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 9 Asts: Nate McMillan 8 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 8 Asts: Derek Harper 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak, Bernie Fryer
* April 28
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 107, Seattle SuperSonics 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 15–26, 22–29, 36–34, 34–28 |||
| Pts: Derek Harper 30 Rebs: Sam Perkins 11 Asts: Derek Harper 8 | Pts: Dale Ellis 43 Rebs: Dale Ellis 14 Asts: Nate McMillan 9 |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 |||
* Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 8,150 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Saar, Bennett Salvatore
* April 30
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 98, Seattle SuperSonics 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–33, 27–28, 29–27, 21–36 |||
| Pts: Rolando Blackman 25 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 17 Asts: Derek Harper 5 | Pts: Tom Chambers 31 Rebs: Chambers, Ellis 9 each Asts: Nate McMillan 9 |
| Seattle wins series, 3–1 |||
* Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 8,150 Referees: Earl Strom, Tommy Nunez Sr., Bill Oakes
* Seattle becomes first 7th seeded team to eliminate 2nd seeded team since Playoffs moved to 16-team format in 1984.
Dallas won 5–0 in the regular-season series :
November 6, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 147, Seattle SuperSonics 124
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
December 13, 1986
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 126, Seattle SuperSonics 109
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
January 2, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 107, Dallas Mavericks 117
Reunion Arena, Dallas
February 4, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 94, Dallas Mavericks 124
Reunion Arena, Dallas
March 11, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 117, Dallas Mavericks 130
Reunion Arena, Dallas :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first meeting.
Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Dallas Mavericks 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1984 Western Conference First Round :

#### (3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) Houston Rockets

* April 24
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 125, Portland Trail Blazers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–32, 30–28, 27–22, 33–33 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: Allen Leavell 10 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 30 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 13 Asts: Terry Porter 11 |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666
* April 26
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 98, Portland Trail Blazers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–29, 12–27, 26–28, 22–27 |||
| Pts: Leavell, Sampson 28 each Rebs: Rodney McCray 12 Asts: Allen Leavell 8 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 32 Rebs: Porter, Johnson 8 each Asts: Terry Porter 15 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Saar, Bennett Salvatore
* April 28
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 108, Houston Rockets 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–38, 23–32, 34–24, 29–23 |||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler 26 Rebs: Johnson, Jones 10 each Asts: Terry Porter 8 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Allen Leavell 13 |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,279 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis, James Capers Sr.
* April 30
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Houston Rockets 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 30–41, 17–28, 33–24 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 27 Rebs: Steve Johnson 12 Asts: Terry Porter 6 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: McCray, Sampson 10 each Asts: Allen Leavell 8 |
| Houston wins series, 3–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,279 Referees: Darell Garretson, Ed Middleton, Bernie Fryer
Portland won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 18, 1986
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 115, Houston Rockets 111 (OT)
The Summit, Houston
December 19, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 112, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 8, 1987
Recap
Houston Rockets 93, Portland Trail Blazers 119
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 26, 1987
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 104, Houston Rockets 119
The Summit, Houston
April 6, 1987
Recap
Houston Rockets 114, Portland Trail Blazers 108
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Trail Blazers.

#### (4) Utah Jazz vs. (5) Golden State Warriors

* April 23
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 85, Utah Jazz 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–21, 23–32, 27–23, 17–23 |||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 18 Rebs: Joe Barry Carroll 9 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 8 | Pts: Malone, Bailey 20 each Rebs: Mark Eaton 15 Asts: Rickey Green 15 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 11,376 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton, Ronnie Nunn
* April 25
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 100, Utah Jazz 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 28–35, 30–15, 24–25 |||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 12 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 9 | Pts: Darrell Griffith 25 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Hansen, Stockton 5 each |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,095
* April 29
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 95, Golden State Warriors 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 20–32, 23–22, 28–33 |||
| Pts: Kelly Tripucka 16 Rebs: Karl Malone 9 Asts: John Stockton 8 | Pts: Terry Teagle 30 Rebs: Larry Smith 17 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 8 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes, Bennett Salvatore
* May 1
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 94, Golden State Warriors 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 26–18, 26–25, 20–30 |||
| Pts: Hansen, Malone 20 each Rebs: Mark Eaton 15 Asts: John Stockton 11 | Pts: Purvis Short 32 Rebs: Larry Smith 8 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 11 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* May 3
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 118, Utah Jazz 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–29, 32–22, 23–26, 28–36 |||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 24 Rebs: Larry Smith 14 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 14 | Pts: Karl Malone 23 Rebs: Mark Eaton 10 Asts: John Stockton 13 |
| Golden State wins series, 3–2 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 11,071 Referees: Jack Madden, Jess Kersey
Utah won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 25, 1986
Recap
Utah Jazz 106, Golden State Warriors 111
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
January 23, 1987
Recap
Golden State Warriors 100, Utah Jazz 123
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
March 17, 1987
Recap
Golden State Warriors 103, Utah Jazz 118
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
March 28, 1987
Recap
Utah Jazz 110, Golden State Warriors 116
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
April 12, 1987
Recap
Utah Jazz 109, Golden State Warriors 107
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Warriors and the Jazz.

## Conference Semifinals
### Eastern Conference Semifinals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Milwaukee Bucks

* May 5
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 98, Boston Celtics 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 29–31, 18–20, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Terry Cummings 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 8 | Pts: Larry Bird 40 Rebs: Robert Parish 12 Asts: Bird, Johnson 7 each |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Dick Bavetta
* May 6
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 124, Boston Celtics 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 37–39, 31–36, 29–26 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Jack Sikma 14 Asts: Paul Pressey 6 | Pts: Bird, Ainge 30 each Rebs: Larry Bird 10 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Ed Middleton, Hugh Evans, Jack Nies
* May 8
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 121, Milwaukee Bucks 126 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–33, 24–29, 26–23, 30–29, Overtime: 7–12 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 32 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 | Pts: John Lucas 30 Rebs: Terry Cummings 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Jack Madden, Bill Saar
* May 10
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 138, Milwaukee Bucks 137 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 32–34, 29–30, 24–22, Overtime: 10–10, 11–10 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 42 Rebs: Kevin McHale 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 12 | Pts: Terry Cummings 31 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 11 |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Hue Hollins, Jess Kersey
* May 13
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 129, Boston Celtics 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–32, 27–34, 32–36, 32–22 |||
| Pts: Sidney Moncrief 33 Rebs: Sikma, Cummings 9 each Asts: Paul Pressey 10 | Pts: Robert Parish 30 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Larry Bird 12 |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Jake O'Donnell
* May 15
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Milwaukee Bucks 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–27, 31–32, 24–31, 20–31 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 16 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 | Pts: Sidney Moncrief 34 Rebs: Terry Cummings 11 Asts: Paul Pressey 11 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* May 17
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Boston Celtics 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–29, 23–27, 30–32, 24–31 |||
| Pts: Paul Pressey 28 Rebs: Jack Sikma 10 Asts: Paul Pressey 8 | Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Robert Parish 19 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hugh Evans
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 1, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 105, Milwaukee Bucks 111
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
November 12, 1986
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 116, Boston Celtics 124
Boston Garden, Boston
December 20, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 100, Milwaukee Bucks 120
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
January 7, 1987
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 92, Boston Celtics 119
Boston Garden, Boston
March 17, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 115, Milwaukee Bucks 123
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 18, 1987
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 102, Boston Celtics 120
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first four meetings.
Boston leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1974
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 3
1974 NBA Finals
1983
Boston Celtics 0, Milwaukee Bucks 4
1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
1984 Eastern Conference Finals
1986
Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 0
1986 Eastern Conference Finals :

#### (2) Atlanta Hawks vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

* May 3
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 112, Atlanta Hawks 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 29–31, 29–28, 27–26 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 30 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 | Pts: Kevin Willis 22 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 14,361
* May 5
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 102, Atlanta Hawks 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 26–31, 23–27, 31–32 |||
| Pts: Laimbeer, Thomas 20 each Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 6 | Pts: Randy Wittman 34 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 14 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,522 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bennett Salvatore, Jack Nies
* May 8
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 99, Detroit Pistons 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 18–16, 34–44, 24–23 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 26 Rebs: Kevin Willis 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 8 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 24,544 Referees: Hue Hollins, Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton
* May 10
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 88, Detroit Pistons 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–17, 21–23, 23–29, 25–20 |||
| Pts: Wilkins, Battle 19 each Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 7 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 31 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 17 Asts: Joe Dumars 5 |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 17,269 Referees: Earl Strom, Ed Middleton
* Isiah Thomas makes the game-winning layup with 1 second left.
* May 13
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 104, Atlanta Hawks 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 18–29, 23–26, 39–19 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 21 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 26 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 15 |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,522 Referees: Jack Madden, Mike Mathis, Bill Oakes
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 14, 1986
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 105, Detroit Pistons 100
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
December 16, 1986
Recap
Detroit Pistons 111, Atlanta Hawks 100
The Omni, Atlanta
January 19, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 98, Detroit Pistons 108
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
February 17, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 103, Atlanta Hawks 107
The Omni, Atlanta
February 21, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 97, Detroit Pistons 102
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 10, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 99, Atlanta Hawks 101
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning three of the first four meetings. It is the first win for the Pistons since the franchise moved to Detroit.
Atlanta leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1956
Fort Wayne Pistons 3, St. Louis Hawks 2
1956 Western Division Finals
1958
Detroit Pistons 1, St. Louis Hawks 4
1958 Western Division Finals
1963
Detroit Pistons 1, St. Louis Hawks 3
1963 Western Division Semifinals
1986
Atlanta Hawks 3, Detroit Pistons 1
1986 Eastern Conference First Round :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Golden State Warriors

* May 5
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 116, Los Angeles Lakers 125 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 33–25, 23–49, 31–21 |||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 7 Asts: Larry Smith 11 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* May 7
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 101, Los Angeles Lakers 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 26–26, 27–27, 23–31 |||
| Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 22 Rebs: Larry Smith 13 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 12 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Michael Cooper 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes, John Vanak
* May 9
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 133, Golden State Warriors 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–24, 35–32, 30–30, 30–22 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Joe Barry Carroll 23 Rebs: Larry Smith 15 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Paul Mihalak
* May 10
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 121, Golden State Warriors 129 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–27, 31–30, 37–31, 19–41 |||
| Pts: Byron Scott 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 12 Asts: Michael Cooper 10 | Pts: Sleepy Floyd 51 Rebs: Larry Smith 16 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 10 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Paul Mihalak, John Vanak
* Sleepy Floyd's record 39-point 2nd half and 29-point 4th quarter.
* May 12
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 106, Los Angeles Lakers 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 23–33, 25–34, 29–19 |||
| Pts: Purvis Short 20 Rebs: Larry Smith 23 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 11 | Pts: James Worthy 23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins, Tommy Nunez Sr.
Los Angeles won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
December 4, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 106, Golden State Warriors 116
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
December 7, 1986
Recap
Golden State Warriors 100, Los Angeles Lakers 132
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 10, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Golden State Warriors 124
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
January 15, 1987
Recap
Golden State Warriors 109, Los Angeles Lakers 129
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 27, 1987
Recap
Golden State Warriors 109, Los Angeles Lakers 121
The Forum, Inglewood, California
March 3, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Golden State Warriors 109
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California :
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first five meetings.
Los Angeles leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series :
1967
Los Angeles Lakers 0, San Francisco Warriors 3
1967 Western Division Semifinals
1968
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Francisco Warriors 0
1968 Western Division Finals
1969
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Francisco Warriors 2
1969 Western Division Semifinals
1973
Golden State Warriors 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1973 Western Conference Finals
1977
Golden State Warriors 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1977 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (6) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

* May 2
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 111, Houston Rockets 106 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 24–22, 28–25, 20–24, Overtime: 14–9 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 34 Rebs: Tom Chambers 9 Asts: Nate McMillan 8 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Rodney McCray 8 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,279 Referees: Hugh Evans, Dick Bavetta, Bill Saar
* May 5
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 99, Houston Rockets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 24–27, 18–31, 29–18 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 30 Rebs: Dale Ellis 9 Asts: Eddie Johnson 8 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: Olajuwon, Sampson 13 each Asts: Leavell, McCray 8 each |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,279 Referees: Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* May 7
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 102, Seattle SuperSonics 84 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–20, 27–13, 19–24, 27–27 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 33 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Robert Reid 9 | Pts: Tom Chambers 24 Rebs: Dale Ellis 10 Asts: McMillan, Young 4 each |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,587
* May 9
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 102, Seattle SuperSonics 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–31, 24–31, 24–24, 23–31 |||
| Pts: McCray, Olajuwon 20 each Rebs: Rodney McCray 12 Asts: Allen Leavell 5 | Pts: Tom Chambers 38 Rebs: Alton Lister 17 Asts: Nate McMillan 10 |
| Seattle leads series, 3–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,559 Referees: John Vanak, Darell Garretson, Bill Oakes
* May 12
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 107, Houston Rockets 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 34–31, 30–23, 21–23 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 27 Rebs: Tom Chambers 9 Asts: Eddie Johnson 6 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 26 Rebs: Rodney McCray 10 Asts: Rodney McCray 11 |
| Seattle leads series, 3–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,279 Referees: Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford, Dick Bavetta
* May 14
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 125, Seattle SuperSonics 128 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–36, 30–18, 26–24, 23–29, Overtime: 8–8, 10–13 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 49 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Asts: Robert Reid 12 | Pts: Tom Chambers 37 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 12 Asts: Nate McMillan 16 |
| Seattle wins series, 4–2 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,751 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hugh Evans, Hue Hollins
Seattle won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
December 6, 1986
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 136, Houston Rockets 80
The Summit, Houston
December 18, 1986
Recap
Houston Rockets 100, Seattle SuperSonics 114
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
January 3, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 114, Houston Rockets 138
The Summit, Houston
March 7, 1987
Recap
Houston Rockets 115, Seattle SuperSonics 118
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
March 10, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 136, Houston Rockets 127 (2OT)
The Summit, Houston :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first meeting.
Seattle leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1982
Houston Rockets 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1982 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

* May 19
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 91, Boston Celtics 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 18–18, 28–31, 23–29 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 18 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 11 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 | Pts: Robert Parish 31 Rebs: Larry Bird 16 Asts: Larry Bird 11 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak
* May 21
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 101, Boston Celtics 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 36–22, 22–28, 20–28 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 36 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 | Pts: Larry Bird 31 Rebs: Bird, Parish 9 each Asts: Larry Bird 12 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Saar, Hue Hollins
* May 23
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 104, Detroit Pistons 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–37, 25–36, 28–20, 23–29 |||
| Pts: Sam Vincent 18 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 12 Asts: Vinnie Johnson 8 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 23,525 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
* May 24
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 119, Detroit Pistons 145 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 33–31, 30–42, 31–41 |||
| Pts: Sam Vincent 18 Rebs: Kevin McHale 9 Asts: Sam Vincent 7 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 32 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Thomas, Dumars 8 each |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 27,387
* May 26
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 107, Boston Celtics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–38, 27–20, 29–28, 22–22 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Larry Bird 9 |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Jess Kersey
* Larry Bird steals Isiah Thomas' inbound pass and gives the ball to Dennis Johnson, who hits the game-winning lay-up with 1 second left.
* May 28
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 105, Detroit Pistons 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–31, 22–27, 28–26, 22–29 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 35 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 | Pts: Dantley, V. Johnson 24 each Rebs: Rick Mahorn 18 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 28,383 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Joe Crawford, Bill Saar
* May 30
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 114, Boston Celtics 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–24, 25–31, 24–26, 34–36 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 35 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 | Pts: Larry Bird 37 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Darell Garretson, Earl Strom
Boston won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 15, 1986
Recap
Boston Celtics 118, Detroit Pistons 111
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 10, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 101, Detroit Pistons 118
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
March 1, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 102, Boston Celtics 112
Boston Garden, Boston
March 8, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 119, Detroit Pistons 122 (OT)
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 3, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 115, Boston Celtics 119 (OT)
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first two meetings.
Boston leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 2
1968 Eastern Division Semifinals
1985
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 2
1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

* May 16
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 87, Los Angeles Lakers 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 17–24, 30–26, 15–15 |||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 28 Rebs: McDaniel, Lister 10 each Asts: Nate McMillan 8 | Pts: James Worthy 27 Rebs: Magic Johnson 7 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jack Madden, Mike Mathis, Ed Middleton
* May 19
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 104, Los Angeles Lakers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 26–24, 22–27, 27–29 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 22 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 8 Asts: Nate McMillan 7 | Pts: James Worthy 30 Rebs: A.C. Green 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* May 23
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 122, Seattle SuperSonics 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–32, 28–26, 33–28, 25–35 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 39 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Xavier McDaniel 42 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 10 Asts: Nate McMillan 15 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,657 Referees: Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalak, John Vanak
* Michael Cooper's game-saving block on Dale Ellis with 35 seconds left.
* May 25
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 133, Seattle SuperSonics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–28, 29–19, 32–30, 33–25 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 26 Rebs: A.C. Green 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Tom Chambers 20 Rebs: Alton Lister 20 Asts: Kevin Williams 5 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–0 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,477 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Joe Crawford
Los Angeles won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 4, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 110, Seattle SuperSonics 96
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
November 12, 1986
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 97, Los Angeles Lakers 122
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 28, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 101, Seattle SuperSonics 125
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
March 4, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 124, Los Angeles Lakers 138
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 2, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, Seattle SuperSonics 114
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
April 19, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 110, Los Angeles Lakers 104
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning two of the first three meetings.
Seattle leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1978
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1978 Western Conference First Round
1979
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1979 Western Conference Semifinals
1980
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 1
1980 Western Conference Finals :

## NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E1) Boston Celtics

* June 2
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 113, Los Angeles Lakers 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–35, 28–34, 31–32, 28–25 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 7 Asts: Dennis Johnson 13 | Pts: James Worthy 33 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Hugh Evans
* June 4
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 122, Los Angeles Lakers 141 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–38, 22–37, 36–32, 30–34 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 23 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 | Pts: Byron Scott 24 Rebs: M. Johnson, Rambis 5 each Asts: Magic Johnson 20 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Jack Madden
* Michael Cooper hits six 3-pointers.
* June 7
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Boston Celtics 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 27–38, 22–26, 25–23 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 32 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 | Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Ainge, McHale 5 each |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* June 9
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 107, Boston Celtics 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 25–26, 31–30, 29–21 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Asts: Cooper, M. Johnson 5 each | Pts: Kevin McHale 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Hugh Evans
* Magic Johnson hits the game-winning "Baby-Hook" with 2 seconds left.
* June 11
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Boston Celtics 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–38, 29–33, 31–27 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 29 Rebs: Magic Johnson 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Dennis Johnson 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed T. Rush
* June 14
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 93, Los Angeles Lakers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–25, 24–26, 12–30, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 33 Rebs: D. Johnson, McHale 10 each Asts: Danny Ainge 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* Bill Walton's final NBA game.
Los Angeles won 2–0 in the regular-season series :
December 12, 1986
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, Boston Celtics 110
Boston Garden, Boston
February 15, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 103, Los Angeles Lakers 106
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning eight of the first nine meetings.
Boston leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series :
1959
Boston Celtics 4, Minneapolis Lakers 0
1959 NBA Finals
1962
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1962 NBA Finals
1963
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1963 NBA Finals
1965
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1965 NBA Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1966 NBA Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1968 NBA Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1969 NBA Finals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1984 NBA Finals
1985
Boston Celtics 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1985 NBA Finals :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Sleepy Floyd | Golden State Warriors | 51 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 35.7 | 3 |
| Rebounds | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 25 | Charles Oakley | Chicago Bulls | 15.3 | 3 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 20 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 12.2 | 18 |
| Steals | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 6 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 3.0 | 5 |
| Blocks | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 8 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 4.3 | 10 |