# 1988 NBA playoffs

The 1988 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987–88 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. James Worthy was named NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers became the first team since the Boston Celtics in 1969 to repeat as champions, a feat that coach Pat Riley guaranteed the previous offseason.
This marked the first time since 1983 that the Celtics did not represent the East in the NBA Finals, but they did win one of the most memorable games of the 1988 playoffs, beating the Hawks 118–116 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Boston Garden. Larry Bird scored 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston overcome the 47 points scored by Dominique Wilkins.
The Dallas Mavericks made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals, losing in 7 to the Lakers. They would not advance that far again until 2003, and would not face the Lakers again until 2011.
The New York Knicks made the playoffs for the first time since 1984. They remained regulars until 2001, which included NBA Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999. On the other hand, the Washington Bullets did not return until 1997, and would not win a playoff game again until 2005 as the Wizards.
In the first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Jordan scored 50 or more points twice—50 points in Game 1, and 55 points in Game 2—becoming the first player to do so in the same series.
This was the first time in NBA history that a game other than a Finals game was played during the month of June.
Game 4 of the Atlanta-Milwaukee series was the last NBA game played at The MECCA. The next season, the Bucks moved to the Bradley Center, where they would play for the next thirty seasons.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals was the last NBA game ever played at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Pistons moved full-time to the Palace of Auburn Hills in the fall and would play there until moving to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit in 2017.
This was the last NBA postseason to have back-to-backs in the conference finals (they would still occur in the conference semifinals until 2000).
These playoffs had four playoff series where the home team was undefeated in the series in a single year, an active NBA playoff record. Only 1990 has had more than two playoff series where the home team went undefeated in a single year.

## 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 | New York | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | New York | 1 | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E4 | Atlanta | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Atlanta | 3 | | | E4 | Atlanta | 3 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Milwaukee | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Milwaukee | 2 | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 2 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Boston* | 2 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E2 | Detroit* | 4 | | | | |
| E3 | Chicago | 3 | | | | | | | | | E2 | Detroit* | 4 | | | | |
| E6 | Cleveland | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Cleveland | 2 | | | E3 | Chicago | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Detroit* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Detroit* | 3 | | | E2 | Detroit* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Washington | 2 | | | | | | | | | | E2 | Detroit* | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | San Antonio | 0 | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Portland | 1 | | | W5 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 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 | W3 | Dallas | 3 | | | | |
| W3 | Dallas | 3 | | | | | | | | | W3 | Dallas | 3 | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 1 | | | W3 | Dallas | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Denver* | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Denver* | 3 | | | W2 | Denver* | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Seattle | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) New York Knicks

* April 29
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 92, Boston Celtics 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 22–27, 24–29, 17–30 |||
| Pts: Gerald Wilkins 24 Rebs: Ewing, Green 11 each Asts: Mark Jackson 9 | Pts: McHale, Bird 29 each Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak
* May 1
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 102, Boston Celtics 128 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 23–34, 24–28, 30–37 |||
| Pts: Gerald Wilkins 24 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 10 Asts: Mark Jackson 7 | Pts: Larry Bird 36 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Hue Hollins, Ed Rush
* May 4
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 100, New York Knicks 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 24–23, 25–28, 30–36 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 24 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Larry Bird 12 | Pts: Johnny Newman 34 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 10 Asts: Mark Jackson 14 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,591 Referees: Mike Mathis, Hugh Evans
* May 6
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 102, New York Knicks 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 24–25, 19–24, 31–24 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 28 Rebs: Robert Parish 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 12 | Pts: Mark Jackson 28 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 20 Asts: Mark Jackson 9 |
| Boston wins series, 3–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,591 Referees: Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford
Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
November 9, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 96, New York Knicks 87
Madison Square Garden, New York City
November 18, 1987
Recap
New York Knicks 109, Boston Celtics 111 (2OT)
Boston Garden, Boston
January 6, 1988
Recap
New York Knicks 108, Boston Celtics 117
Boston Garden, Boston
January 9, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 98, New York Knicks 106
Madison Square Garden, New York City
February 22, 1988
Recap
New York Knicks 93, Boston Celtics 95
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
March 26, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 118, New York Knicks 106
Madison Square Garden, New York City :
This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning six of the first 11 meetings.
Boston leads 6–5 in all-time playoff series :
1951
Boston Celtics 0, New York Knicks 2
1951 Eastern Division Semifinals
1952
Boston Celtics 1, New York Knicks 2
1952 Eastern Division Semifinals
1953
Boston Celtics 1, New York Knicks 3
1953 Eastern Division Finals
1954
Boston Celtics 2, New York Knicks 0
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals
1955
Boston Celtics 2, New York Knicks 1
1955 Eastern Division Semifinals
1967
Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 1
1967 Eastern Division Semifinals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 2
1969 Eastern Division Finals
1972
Boston Celtics 1, New York Knicks 4
1972 Eastern Conference Finals
1973
Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 4
1973 Eastern Conference Finals
1974
Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 1
1974 Eastern Conference Finals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, New York Knicks 3
1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Washington Bullets

* April 28
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 87, Detroit Pistons 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 21–18, 19–29, 26–29 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 33 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: John Williams 9 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 34 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Joe Dumars 6 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 17,356 Referees: Darell Garretson, Terry Durham
* April 30
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 101, Detroit Pistons 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 23–23, 36–25, 19–26 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 31 Rebs: Moses Malone 14 Asts: Jeff Malone 4 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 30 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 11 Asts: Joe Dumars 5 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 18,293 Referees: Hugh Evans, Bruce Alexander
* May 2
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 106, Washington Bullets 114 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 26–23, 24–28, 23–18, Overtime: 8–16 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 29 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 8 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 | Pts: Jeff Malone 35 Rebs: Moses Malone 9 Asts: Steve Colter 6 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 9,673 Referees: Jack Madden, Mike Mathis
* May 4
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 103, Washington Bullets 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 21–26, 28–25, 25–28 |||
| Pts: Dantley, Rodman 23 each Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 | Pts: Jeff Malone 25 Rebs: Moses Malone 8 Asts: Darrell Walker 5 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 10,513 Referees: Earl Strom, Jess Kersey, Dick Bavetta
* May 8
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 78, Detroit Pistons 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 18–23, 20–23, 18–26 |||
| Pts: Bernard King 18 Rebs: Moses Malone 12 Asts: three players 3 each | Pts: Joe Dumars 20 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 11 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 18,403 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Rush
Detroit won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 28, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 102, Washington Bullets 124
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
December 11, 1987
Recap
Washington Bullets 108, Detroit Pistons 114
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
March 5, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 97, Washington Bullets 101
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
March 20, 1988
Recap
Washington Bullets 110, Detroit Pistons 118
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 21, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 99, Washington Bullets 87
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.
Detroit leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1987
Detroit Pistons 3, Washington Bullets 0
1987 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Cleveland Cavaliers

* April 28
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Chicago Bulls 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 19–30, 28–20, 17–31 |||
| Pts: Craig Ehlo 21 Rebs: Larry Nance 8 Asts: Mark Price 12 | Pts: Michael Jordan 50 Rebs: Charles Oakley 15 Asts: John Paxson 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Jack Madden, Hue Hollins, Bruce Alexander
* May 1
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Chicago Bulls 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–23, 19–28, 24–28, 22–27 |||
| Pts: Larry Nance 27 Rebs: Brad Daugherty 13 Asts: Larry Nance 8 | Pts: Michael Jordan 55 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Sam Vincent 14 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,645 Referees: Darell Garretson, Paul Mihalak
* May 3
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 28–24, 24–30, 28–21 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 38 Rebs: Charles Oakley 9 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 | Pts: Mark Price 31 Rebs: Brad Daugherty 10 Asts: Mark Price 6 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio Attendance: 20,068 Referees: Jess Kersey, Dick Bavetta
* May 5
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 91, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–27, 24–28, 25–21, 23–21 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 44 Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Sam Vincent 5 | Pts: Ron Harper 30 Rebs: Brad Daugherty 9 Asts: Mark Price 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio Attendance: 20,026 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis
* May 8
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Chicago Bulls 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–23, 21–28, 21–29, 24–27 |||
| Pts: Mark Price 25 Rebs: Brad Daugherty 10 Asts: Mark Price 7 | Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Charles Oakley 20 Asts: Rory Sparrow 7 |
| Chicago wins series, 3–2 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,008 Referees: Hugh Evans, Earl Strom, Tommy Nunez (alternate)
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
December 17, 1987
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Chicago Bulls 111
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
January 14, 1988
Recap
Chicago Bulls 88, Cleveland Cavaliers 91 (OT)
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
February 21, 1988
Recap
Chicago Bulls 111, Cleveland Cavaliers 113
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
March 15, 1988
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 89, Chicago Bulls 108
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
March 25, 1988
Recap
Chicago Bulls 111, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 (OT)
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
April 22, 1988
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 107, Chicago Bulls 103
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Cavaliers.

#### (4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

* April 29
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Atlanta Hawks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 32–23, 16–36, 31–26 |||
| Pts: Paul Pressey 21 Rebs: Jack Sikma 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 7 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 26 Rebs: Kevin Willis 9 Asts: Doc Rivers 6 |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 11,517 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins, Terry Durham
* May 1
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 97, Atlanta Hawks 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 25–28, 22–24, 21–26 |||
| Pts: Sidney Moncrief 22 Rebs: Jack Sikma 17 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 43 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 8 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–0 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 11,777 Referees: Hugh Evans, Dick Bavetta
* May 4
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 115, Milwaukee Bucks 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 28–23, 27–35, 31–34 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 22 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 14 Asts: Randy Wittman 8 | Pts: Terry Cummings 30 Rebs: Jack Sikma 16 Asts: Paul Pressey 6 |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Bill Saar, Joe Crawford
* May 6
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 99, Milwaukee Bucks 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 20–28, 28–28, 24–29 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 31 Rebs: Kevin Willis 8 Asts: Doc Rivers 9 | Pts: Terry Cummings 30 Rebs: Jack Sikma 9 Asts: Sidney Moncrief 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Bill Oakes
* May 8
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Atlanta Hawks 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 25–32, 23–31, 41–32 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 28 Rebs: Larry Krystkowiak 10 Asts: Moncrief, Pressey 6 each | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 33 Rebs: Dominique Wilkins 10 Asts: Doc Rivers 15 |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–2 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 12,190 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 15, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 103, Milwaukee Bucks 112
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
December 18, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 94, Milwaukee Bucks 87
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
March 5, 1988
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Atlanta Hawks 101
The Omni, Atlanta
March 21, 1988
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 105, Atlanta Hawks 115
The Omni, Atlanta
March 22, 1988
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 98, Milwaukee Bucks 111
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
April 5, 1988
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 110, Atlanta Hawks 121
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Atlanta Hawks 2, Milwaukee Bucks 3
1984 Eastern Conference First Round :

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) San Antonio Spurs

* April 29
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 110, Los Angeles Lakers 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 21–34, 31–30, 30–32 |||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson 34 Rebs: Anderson, Berry 8 each Asts: Robertson, Brickowski 5 each | Pts: James Worthy 22 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 18 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis, Blane Reichelt
* May 1
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 112, Los Angeles Lakers 130 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–25, 26–35, 23–33, 31–37 |||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson 28 Rebs: Frank Brickowski 12 Asts: Alvin Robertson 12 | Pts: Mychal Thompson 29 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 16 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Nies
* May 3
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 109, San Antonio Spurs 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–36, 28–29, 22–26, 20–16 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 25 Rebs: James Worthy 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Frank Brickowski 27 Rebs: Greg Anderson 8 Asts: Alvin Robertson 11 |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 11,542 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Tommy Nunez Sr.
Los Angeles won 5–0 in the regular-season series :
November 10, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 133, San Antonio Spurs 124
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
November 15, 1987
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 130, Los Angeles Lakers 147
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 4, 1988
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 115, Los Angeles Lakers 133
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 12, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 133, San Antonio Spurs 132
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
April 19, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 133, San Antonio Spurs 126
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first three meetings.
Los Angeles leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series :
1982
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 0
1982 Western Conference Finals
1983
Los Angeles Lakers 4, San Antonio Spurs 2
1983 Western Conference Finals
1986
Los Angeles Lakers 3, San Antonio Spurs 0
1986 Western Conference First Round :

#### (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Seattle SuperSonics

* April 29
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 123, Denver Nuggets 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 39–28, 28–28, 29–42 |||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 29 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 10 Asts: McDaniel, McMillan 8 each | Pts: Alex English 28 Rebs: Fat Lever 11 Asts: Fat Lever 8 |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Jack Nies, Bill Oakes, Jake O'Donnell
* May 1
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 111, Denver Nuggets 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 32–19, 25–23, 20–27 |||
| Pts: Dale Ellis 24 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 17 Asts: Nate McMillan 6 | Pts: English, Evans 16 each Rebs: Fat Lever 12 Asts: Michael Adams 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Tommy Nunez Sr., Earl Strom
* May 3
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 124, Seattle SuperSonics 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–34, 24–24, 35–30, 27–26 |||
| Pts: Blair Rasmussen 28 Rebs: Blair Rasmussen 12 Asts: Adams, Lever 7 each | Pts: Tom Chambers 34 Rebs: Xavier McDaniel 12 Asts: Nate McMillan 9 |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,250 Referees: Darell Garretson, Paul Mihalak
* May 5
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 117, Seattle SuperSonics 127 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–35, 27–30, 30–32, 24–30 |||
| Pts: Jay Vincent 28 Rebs: Danny Schayes 8 Asts: English, Evans 5 each | Pts: Xavier McDaniel 27 Rebs: Derrick McKey 7 Asts: Danny Young 8 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,250 Referees: Ed F. Rush, Hue Hollins
* May 7
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 96, Denver Nuggets 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 26–37, 20–32, 28–29 |||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 23 Rebs: Alton Lister 8 Asts: Xavier McDaniel 5 | Pts: Alex English 23 Rebs: Jay Vincent 7 Asts: Alex English 7 |
| Denver wins series, 3–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 16,040 Referees: Jack Madden, Hugh Evans
Denver won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1987
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 111, Denver Nuggets 115
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
December 28, 1987
Recap
Denver Nuggets 100, Seattle SuperSonics 108
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
March 5, 1988
Recap
Denver Nuggets 115, Seattle SuperSonics 102
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
March 20, 1988
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 95, Denver Nuggets 108
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
April 19, 1988
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 114, Denver Nuggets 134
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
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 :
1978
Denver Nuggets 2, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1978 Western Conference Finals :

#### (3) Dallas Mavericks vs. (6) Houston Rockets

* April 28
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 110, Dallas Mavericks 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 17–32, 27–16, 37–43 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 34 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 11 | Pts: Roy Tarpley 24 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 9 Asts: Derek Harper 8 |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Saar
* April 30
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 119, Dallas Mavericks 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–28, 28–34, 29–27, 30–19 |||
| Pts: Sleepy Floyd 42 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 26 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 9 | Pts: Roy Tarpley 23 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 13 Asts: Derek Harper 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jack Madden, Dick Bavetta, Bennett Salvatore
* May 3
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 93, Houston Rockets 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 28–22, 20–32, 20–15 |||
| Pts: Roy Tarpley 17 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 13 Asts: Rolando Blackman 7 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 35 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 5 |
| Dallas leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,611 Referees: Bruce Alexander, Earl Strom
* May 5
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 107, Houston Rockets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–23, 32–21, 37–32, 24–21 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 38 Rebs: James Donaldson 10 Asts: Rolando Blackman 10 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 40 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 15 Asts: Sleepy Floyd 9 |
| Dallas wins series, 3–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,611 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* Cedric Maxwell's final NBA game.
Dallas won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1987
Recap
Houston Rockets 100, Dallas Mavericks 105
Reunion Arena, Dallas
January 4, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 107, Houston Rockets 117
The Summit, Houston
January 30, 1988
Recap
Houston Rockets 108, Dallas Mavericks 92
Reunion Arena, Dallas
February 25, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 108, Houston Rockets 106
The Summit, Houston
March 4, 1988
Recap
Houston Rockets 110, Dallas Mavericks 118
Reunion Arena, Dallas
April 19, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 104, Houston Rockets 96
The Summit, Houston :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Rockets.

#### (4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Utah Jazz

* April 28
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 96, Portland Trail Blazers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–33, 18–27, 24–26, 24–22 |||
| Pts: Thurl Bailey 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 9 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 26 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 13 Asts: Terry Porter 12 |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* April 30
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 114, Portland Trail Blazers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–23, 22–30, 21–20, 35–32 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 37 Rebs: Karl Malone 16 Asts: John Stockton 13 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 25 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 14 Asts: Terry Porter 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Bill Saar, Joe Crawford
* May 4
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 108, Utah Jazz 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 24–24, 34–32, 33–32 |||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey 23 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth 16 Asts: Drexler, Porter 4 each | Pts: Karl Malone 35 Rebs: Karl Malone 9 Asts: John Stockton 16 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,444 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Bill Oakes
* May 6
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 96, Utah Jazz 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 31–26, 27–31, 16–29 |||
| Pts: Kevin Duckworth 33 Rebs: Kersey, Duckworth 10 each Asts: Clyde Drexler 6 | Pts: Karl Malone 38 Rebs: Mark Eaton 11 Asts: John Stockton 10 |
| Utah wins series, 3–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,444 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
Utah won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
January 13, 1988
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 104, Utah Jazz 116
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
February 4, 1988
Recap
Utah Jazz 126, Portland Trail Blazers 123
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
February 15, 1988
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 94, Utah Jazz 112
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
April 14, 1988
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 128, Utah Jazz 123
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
April 19, 1988
Recap
Utah Jazz 129, Portland Trail Blazers 122
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz.

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

* May 11
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 101, Boston Celtics 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–38, 25–16, 20–28, 33–28 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 25 Rebs: Doc Rivers 9 Asts: three players 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 38 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Danny Ainge 12 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta
* May 13
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 97, Boston Celtics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 9–25, 30–20, 32–30, 26–33 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 22 Rebs: Tree Rollins 9 Asts: Doc Rivers 6 | Pts: Kevin McHale 32 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
* May 15
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 92, Atlanta Hawks 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 23–28, 23–30, 24–28 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 22 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Larry Bird 8 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 25 Rebs: Kevin Willis 13 Asts: Spud Webb 13 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,451 Referees: Earl Strom, Mike Mathis
* May 16
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 109, Atlanta Hawks 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 38–32, 21–34, 24–29, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 40 Rebs: Tree Rollins 12 Asts: Doc Rivers 22 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,451 Referees: Hugh Evans, Hue Hollins
* May 18
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 112, Boston Celtics 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 20–24, 26–29, 43–27 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 27 Rebs: Kevin Willis 14 Asts: Doc Rivers 7 | Pts: Robert Parish 24 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Atlanta leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Jess Kersey
* May 20
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 102, Atlanta Hawks 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 26–27, 25–21, 19–22 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 26 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Danny Ainge 14 | Pts: Dominique Wilkins 35 Rebs: Willis, Rollins 11 each Asts: Spud Webb 7 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 16,451 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* May 22
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 116, Boston Celtics 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 28–31, 24–25, 34–34 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 47 Rebs: Kevin Willis 11 Asts: Doc Rivers 18 | Pts: Larry Bird 34 Rebs: Kevin McHale 13 Asts: Danny Ainge 10 |
| Boston wins series, 4–3 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Hugh Evans
Boston won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 25, 1987
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 102, Boston Celtics 117
Boston Garden, Boston
December 1, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 106, Atlanta Hawks 120
The Omni, Atlanta
January 22, 1988
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 106, Boston Celtics 124
Boston Garden, Boston
January 26, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 102, Atlanta Hawks 97
The Omni, Atlanta
March 13, 1988
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 100, Boston Celtics 117
Boston Garden, Boston
April 22, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 106, Atlanta Hawks 133
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning seven of the first eight meetings.
Boston leads 7–1 in all-time playoff series :
1957
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3
1957 NBA Finals
1958
Boston Celtics 2, St. Louis Hawks 4
1958 NBA Finals
1960
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3
1960 NBA Finals
1961
Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 1
1961 NBA Finals
1972
Atlanta Hawks 2, Boston Celtics 4
1972 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1973
Atlanta Hawks 2, Boston Celtics 4
1973 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1983
Atlanta Hawks 1, Boston Celtics 2
1983 Eastern Conference First Round
1986
Atlanta Hawks 1, Boston Celtics 4
1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Detroit Pistons vs. (3) Chicago Bulls

* May 10
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 82, Detroit Pistons 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 24–25, 20–19, 16–18 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Charles Oakley 13 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 23 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 18,312 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
* May 12
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 105, Detroit Pistons 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 30–20, 26–22, 24–33 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 36 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Vincent, Pippen 5 each | Pts: Isiah Thomas 25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Isiah Thomas 13 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 20,281 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* May 14
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 101, Chicago Bulls 79 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 25–23, 21–20, 28–21 |||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson 23 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | Pts: Michael Jordan 24 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Sam Vincent 6 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Bill Saar, Earl Strom
* May 15
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 96, Chicago Bulls 77 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 21–15, 25–21, 25–22 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | Pts: Michael Jordan 23 Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 5 |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Ed C. Rush
* May 18
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 95, Detroit Pistons 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 22–23, 23–20, 24–29 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 25 Rebs: Charles Oakley 15 Asts: Jordan, Paxson 8 each | Pts: Isiah Thomas 25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 21,371 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford
Detroit won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 21, 1987
Recap
Detroit Pistons 144, Chicago Bulls 132 (OT)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
December 15, 1987
Recap
Chicago Bulls 123, Detroit Pistons 127 (OT)
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 16, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 99, Chicago Bulls 115
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
February 9, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 89, Chicago Bulls 74
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
February 13, 1988
Recap
Chicago Bulls 73, Detroit Pistons 82
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 3, 1988
Recap
Chicago Bulls 112, Detroit Pistons 110
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.
Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1974
Chicago Bulls 4, Detroit Pistons 3
1974 Western Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Utah Jazz

* May 8
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 91, Los Angeles Lakers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 8–24, 23–31, 31–30, 29–25 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 8 Asts: John Stockton 16 | Pts: James Worthy 23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jack Madden, Paul Mihalak
* May 10
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 101, Los Angeles Lakers 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 30–21, 20–23, 27–31 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Mark Eaton 12 Asts: John Stockton 13 | Pts: Byron Scott 26 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Bruce Alexander, Joe Crawford
* May 13
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 89, Utah Jazz 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 19–25, 27–25, 20–15 |||
| Pts: Byron Scott 29 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 6 | Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Mark Eaton 14 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,444 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Bill Oakes
* May 15
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Utah Jazz 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 24–23, 31–22, 29–24 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 | Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: John Stockton 13 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,444 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta
* May 17
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 109, Los Angeles Lakers 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–37, 27–22, 19–27, 31–25 |||
| Pts: Thurl Bailey 28 Rebs: Karl Malone 16 Asts: John Stockton 24 | Pts: James Worthy 27 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis
* Michael Cooper hits the game-winner with 7 seconds left; John Stockton ties the NBA playoff record for 24 assists.
* May 19
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 80, Utah Jazz 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 13–31, 29–25, 18–25, 20–27 |||
| Pts: Byron Scott 16 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 | Pts: Karl Malone 27 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: John Stockton 17 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,444 Referees: Hugh Evans, Hue Hollins
* May 21
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 98, Los Angeles Lakers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 24–25, 24–30, 23–22 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 15 Asts: John Stockton 20 | Pts: Byron Scott 29 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 16 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Jess Kersey
Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1987
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 117, Utah Jazz 109
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
January 26, 1988
Recap
Utah Jazz 100, Los Angeles Lakers 111
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 26, 1988
Recap
Utah Jazz 105, Los Angeles Lakers 112
The Forum, Inglewood, California
March 29, 1988
Recap
Utah Jazz 111, Los Angeles Lakers 122
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 2, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 92, Utah Jazz 106
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Lakers and the Jazz.

#### (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks

* May 10
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 115, Denver Nuggets 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–34, 15–25, 28–35, 40–32 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 26 Rebs: James Donaldson 13 Asts: Derek Harper 5 | Pts: Fat Lever 30 Rebs: Fat Lever 11 Asts: Lever, English 8 each |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* May 12
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 112, Denver Nuggets 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 22–18, 30–23, 32–34 |||
| Pts: Rolando Blackman 31 Rebs: James Donaldson 13 Asts: Derek Harper 8 | Pts: Lever, English 22 each Rebs: Danny Schayes 12 Asts: Michael Adams 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Bill Saar, Joe Crawford
* May 14
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 107, Dallas Mavericks 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 29–30, 25–26, 29–18 |||
| Pts: Alex English 23 Rebs: Fat Lever 11 Asts: Fat Lever 12 | Pts: Sam Perkins 17 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 15 Asts: Mark Aguirre 6 |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
* May 15
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 103, Dallas Mavericks 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 24–34, 23–32, 32–29 |||
| Pts: Alex English 24 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 10 Asts: Michael Adams 9 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 34 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 13 Asts: Derek Harper 10 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Hugh Evans, Bill Oakes
* May 17
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 110, Denver Nuggets 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 30–28, 23–27, 32–28 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 25 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 16 Asts: Derek Harper 6 | Pts: Danny Schayes 33 Rebs: Danny Schayes 13 Asts: Adams, English 6 each |
| Dallas leads series, 3–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta
* May 19
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 95, Dallas Mavericks 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 26–33, 27–24, 15–26 |||
| Pts: Alex English 34 Rebs: Danny Schayes 9 Asts: Michael Adams 8 | Pts: Perkins, Blackman 23 each Rebs: Roy Tarpley 19 Asts: Derek Harper 9 |
| Dallas wins series, 4–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak, Bill Saar
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 28, 1987
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 98, Denver Nuggets 106
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
December 5, 1987
Recap
Denver Nuggets 96, Dallas Mavericks 109
Reunion Arena, Dallas
February 3, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 105, Denver Nuggets 115
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
February 29, 1988
Recap
Denver Nuggets 96, Dallas Mavericks 123
Reunion Arena, Dallas
April 9, 1988
Recap
Denver Nuggets 109, Dallas Mavericks 135
Reunion Arena, Dallas
April 17, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 122, Denver Nuggets 133
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Nuggets.

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Detroit Pistons

* May 25
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 104, Boston Celtics 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 22–25, 23–20, 29–23 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 35 Rebs: Rick Mahorn 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 | Pts: Kevin McHale 31 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Paul Mihalak, Earl Strom
* May 26
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 115, Boston Celtics 119 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 17–25, 32–28, 24–21, Overtime: 7–7, 6–10 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 24 Rebs: John Salley 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | Pts: Robert Parish 26 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jack Madden, Mike Mathis
* Adrian Dantley hits a game-tying free throw with 10 seconds left in regulation to force OT; Kevin McHale hits the game-tying 3 pointer with 5 seconds left in the first OT to force the second OT.
* May 28
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 94, Detroit Pistons 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 21–29, 21–26, 23–14 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 11 Asts: Larry Bird 8 | Pts: Joe Dumars 29 Rebs: John Salley 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 6 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 26,481 Referees: Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford
* May 30
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 79, Detroit Pistons 78 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–10, 30–26, 14–32, 19–10 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 20 Rebs: Larry Bird 10 Asts: D. Johnson, Bird 6 each | Pts: Bill Laimbeer 29 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 26,625 Referees: Darell Garretson, Ed Rush
* June 1
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 102, Boston Celtics 96 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 14–25, 25–16, 27–22, Overtime: 10–4 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 35 Rebs: John Salley 9 Asts: Dumars, Thomas 5 each | Pts: Larry Bird 27 Rebs: Larry Bird 17 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Hue Hollins
* Fred Roberts hits the game-tying jumper with 1:05 left in regulation to force OT.
* June 3
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–21, 21–27, 17–27, 27–20 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 33 Rebs: Larry Bird 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 9 | Pts: Vinnie Johnson 24 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| Detroit wins series, 4–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 38,912 Referees: Earl Strom, Hugh Evans
* Artis Gilmore's final NBA game.
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
December 4, 1987
Recap
Boston Celtics 105, Detroit Pistons 128
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 13, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 105, Boston Celtics 143
Boston Garden, Boston
January 29, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 108, Detroit Pistons 125
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
February 28, 1988
Recap
Boston Celtics 101, Detroit Pistons 106
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
April 1, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 110, Boston Celtics 121
Boston Garden, Boston
April 19, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 110, Boston Celtics 121
Boston Garden, Boston :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series :
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 2
1968 Eastern Division Semifinals
1985
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 2
1985 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1987
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 3
1987 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) Dallas Mavericks

* May 23
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 98, Los Angeles Lakers 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 21–19, 20–28, 29–33 |||
| Pts: three players 18 each Rebs: Roy Tarpley 20 Asts: Derek Harper 7 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jack Madden, Joe Crawford
* May 25
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 101, Los Angeles Lakers 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–32, 18–27, 22–30, 31–34 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 28 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 13 Asts: Derek Harper 8 | Pts: Byron Scott 30 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 7 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Bill Oakes
* May 27
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 94, Dallas Mavericks 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 26–26, 25–23, 18–31 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 19 Rebs: Magic Johnson 8 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 23 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 20 Asts: Brad Davis 6 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins
* May 29
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 104, Dallas Mavericks 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 32–33, 26–33, 21–29 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Derek Harper 35 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 13 Asts: Rolando Blackman 11 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Dick Bavetta
* May 31
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 102, Los Angeles Lakers 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–33, 20–31, 24–28, 31–27 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 31 Rebs: Roy Tarpley 11 Asts: Derek Harper 6 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 20 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hugh Evans, Earl Strom
* June 2
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Dallas Mavericks 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 24–28, 30–29, 23–23 |||
| Pts: Worthy, Scott 27 Rebs: James Worthy 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 23 Rebs: Mark Aguirre 13 Asts: Derek Harper 10 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Jess Kersey, Ed T. Rush
* June 4
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 102, Los Angeles Lakers 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 24–25, 26–33, 23–30 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 24 Rebs: James Donaldson 14 Asts: Derek Harper 11 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden
Los Angeles won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
November 20, 1987
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 116, Los Angeles Lakers 119
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 6, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 89, Los Angeles Lakers 103
The Forum, Inglewood, California
March 6, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Dallas Mavericks 97
Reunion Arena, Dallas
March 12, 1988
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 110, Los Angeles Lakers 101
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 20, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Dallas Mavericks 107
Reunion Arena, Dallas :
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 :
1984
Dallas Mavericks 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1984 Western Conference Semifinals
1986
Dallas Mavericks 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1986 Western Conference Semifinals :

## NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E2) Detroit Pistons

* June 7
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 105, Los Angeles Lakers 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 35–19, 23–28, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 34 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 7 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 | Pts: Magic Johnson 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* June 9
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 96, Los Angeles Lakers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 19–24, 30–27, 27–32 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 19 Rebs: Laimbeer, Mahorn 9 each Asts: Thomas, Dumars 7 each | Pts: James Worthy 26 Rebs: A.C. Green 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Jess Kersey
* June 12
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Detroit Pistons 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 24–25, 31–18, 21–22 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 24 Rebs: James Worthy 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 39,188 Referees: Earl Strom, Hugh Evans
* June 14
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 86, Detroit Pistons 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 22–26, 14–25, 21–28 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 23 Rebs: A.C. Green 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 6 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 27 Rebs: Isiah Thomas 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 34,297 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden
* June 16
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 94, Detroit Pistons 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 20–32, 25–22, 19–23 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: Magic Johnson 17 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 11 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 |||
* Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan Attendance: 41,732 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* June 19
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 102, Los Angeles Lakers 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 20–33, 35–26, 21–24 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 43 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 9 Asts: Joe Dumars 10 | Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: A.C. Green 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed Rush, Hugh Evans
* Isiah Thomas scores a Finals record 25 points in the 3rd quarter, despite having a severely sprained ankle; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hits the game-winning free throws with 14 seconds left.
* June 21
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 105, Los Angeles Lakers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 29–26, 21–36, 32–25 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 25 Rebs: John Salley 10 Asts: Isiah Thomas 7 | Pts: James Worthy 36 Rebs: James Worthy 16 Asts: Magic Johnson 14 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–3 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Jake O'Donnell
Los Angeles won 2–0 in the regular-season series :
January 8, 1988
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 106, Detroit Pistons 104
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
February 21, 1988
Recap
Detroit Pistons 110, Los Angeles Lakers 117
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first nine meetings.
Los Angeles leads 8–1 in all-time playoff series :
1950
Fort Wayne Pistons 0, Minneapolis Lakers 2
1950 Central Division Finals
1953
Fort Wayne Pistons 2, Minneapolis Lakers 3
1953 Western Division Finals
1954
Fort Wayne Pistons 0, Minneapolis Lakers 2
1954 Western Division Round Robin Semifinals
1955
Fort Wayne Pistons 3, Minneapolis Lakers 1
1955 Western Division Finals
1957
Fort Wayne Pistons 0, Minneapolis Lakers 2
1957 Western Division Semifinals
1959
Detroit Pistons 1, Minneapolis Lakers 2
1959 Western Division Semifinals
1960
Detroit Pistons 0, Minneapolis Lakers 2
1960 Western Division Semifinals
1961
Detroit Pistons 2, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1961 Western Division Semifinals
1962
Detroit Pistons 2, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1962 Western Division Finals :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 55 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 37.5 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 26 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 16.8 | 4 |
| Assists | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 24 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 14.8 | 11 |
| Steals | Michael Jordan Isiah Thomas Horace Grant Ron Harper Patrick Ewing Clyde Drexler Alvin Robertson | Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers New York Knicks Portland Trail Blazers San Antonio Spurs | 6 | Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | 4.0 | 3 |
| Blocks | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 7 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | 3.3 | 3 |