# 1991 NBA playoffs

The 1991 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Lakers reached the Finals despite not being the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 1981, and for just the second time since drafting Magic Johnson first overall in 1979.
After the Pistons had ended their season the last three years, the Bulls got revenge in the Eastern Conference Finals by sweeping the two-time defending NBA champions. It was the first time the Bulls won a playoff series over the Pistons since 1974, when both teams were still part of the Western Conference. Game 4 ended with some of the Pistons walking off the court before time expired, refusing to shake the Bulls' hands. The Pistons were vilified for this, however it was later revealed that the Pistons refused to shake hands with the Bulls because of comments said by Michael Jordan in a pre-game interview before the start of Game 4. In the 1989 NBA Finals, the Pistons themselves had swept the two-time defending champion Lakers. Detroit did not reach the conference finals again until 2003.
The seventh seeded Golden State Warriors stunned the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs, defeating them 3 games to 1. It would be Golden State's last playoff series win until 2007.
The 76ers and the Bucks met in the first round of the playoffs where the 76ers swept the series. It would be both teams last playoff appearance until 1999.
Game 4 of the Blazers–Jazz series was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace.
The Spectrum hosted its final NBA playoff game in Game 4 of the Bulls–76ers series. When the 76ers returned to the playoffs in 1999, they had moved to the CoreStates Center, their home since the 1996–97 season.
This was the first year that NBC aired the NBA Playoffs.

## Bracket

| First round | First round | First round | | | Conference semifinals | Conference semifinals | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | Conference finals | Conference finals | | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| E1 | Chicago* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | New York | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | New York | 0 | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E5 | Philadelphia | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Milwaukee | 0 | | | E5 | Philadelphia | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Detroit | 0 | | | | |
| E3 | Detroit | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | Detroit | 0 | | | | |
| E6 | Atlanta | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Atlanta | 2 | | | E3 | Detroit | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Boston* | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Boston* | 3 | | | E2 | Boston* | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Indiana | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Indiana | 2 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 1 |
| W1 | Portland* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 1 |
| W8 | Seattle | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Seattle | 2 | | | W1 | Portland* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Phoenix | 1 | | | W5 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | W1 | Portland* | 2 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Portland* | 2 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | | | | |
| W3 | LA Lakers | 3 | | | | | | | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Houston | 0 | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W7 | Golden State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | San Antonio* | 1 | | | W7 | Golden State | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Golden State | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) New York Knicks

* TNT
* April 25 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 85, Chicago Bulls 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 17–36, 21–28, 28–33 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 19 Rebs: Charles Oakley 11 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7 | Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Horace Grant 8 Asts: B. J. Armstrong 10 |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Nolan Fine, Jess Kersey, Wally Rooney
* NBC
* April 28 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 79, Chicago Bulls 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 18–15, 19–19, 16–28 |||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing 24 Rebs: Ewing, Oakley 10 each Asts: Trent Tucker 3 | Pts: Michael Jordan 26 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 8 Asts: Scottie Pippen 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Joe Forte, Ron Garretson, Jake O'Donnell
* MSG Network
* April 30 7:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 103, New York Knicks 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 28–23, 30–17, 20–23 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 11 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 | Pts: Ewing, VanDeWeghe 20 each Rebs: Patrick Ewing 14 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7 |
| Chicago wins series, 3–0 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 18,021 Referees: Darell Garretson, Steve Javie, Don Vaden
* Michael Jordan's famous dunk on Patrick Ewing.
Chicago won 4–0 in the regular-season series :
December 7, 1990
Recap
New York Knicks 98, Chicago Bulls 108
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
February 14, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 102, New York Knicks 92
Madison Square Garden, New York City
April 4, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 101, New York Knicks 91
Madison Square Garden, New York City
April 9, 1991
Recap
New York Knicks 106, Chicago Bulls 108
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first two meetings.
Chicago leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Chicago Bulls 2, New York Knicks 0
1981 Eastern Conference First Round
1989
Chicago Bulls 4, New York Knicks 2
1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Indiana Pacers

* TNT
* April 26 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 120, Boston Celtics 127 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–36, 31–25, 34–31, 30–35 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 24 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf 10 Asts: Chuck Person 7 | Pts: Reggie Lewis 28 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Larry Bird 12 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Mike Mathis, Bill Saar
* NBC
* April 28 1:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 130, Boston Celtics 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–36, 32–25, 31–28, 35–29 |||
| Pts: Chuck Person 39 Rebs: Dreiling, Schrempf 7 each Asts: Micheal Williams 10 | Pts: Lewis, Shaw 22 each Rebs: Robert Parish 12 Asts: Larry Bird 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Referees: Darell Garretson, Steve Javie, Ed T. Rush
* TNT
* May 1 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 112, Indiana Pacers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 31–24, 18–24, 34–36 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 22 Rebs: Larry Bird 9 Asts: Brian Shaw 7 | Pts: Miller, Schrempf 20 each Rebs: Detlef Schrempf 10 Asts: Micheal Williams 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,530 Referees: Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans, Lee Jones
* TNT
* May 3 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 113, Indiana Pacers 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–36, 33–28, 26–24, 18–28 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 24 Rebs: Robert Parish 12 Asts: Larry Bird 8 | Pts: Chuck Person 30 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 7 Asts: Micheal Williams 9 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,530 Referees: Jack Madden, Jack Nies, Bill Oakes
* NBC
* May 5 1:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 121, Boston Celtics 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–35, 33–23, 33–42, 30–24 |||
| Pts: Chuck Person 32 Rebs: LaSalle Thompson 9 Asts: Micheal Williams 10 | Pts: Larry Bird 32 Rebs: Larry Bird 9 Asts: Brian Shaw 9 |
| Boston wins series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jess Kersey, Ed T. Rush
* Larry Bird came back in the middle of the third quarter despite suffering a concussion in the second and inspired the Celtics' rally.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1990
Recap
Indiana Pacers 132, Boston Celtics 152
Boston Garden, Boston
February 24, 1991
Recap
Boston Celtics 109, Indiana Pacers 115
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
March 4, 1991
Recap
Indiana Pacers 101, Boston Celtics 126
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
March 22, 1991
Recap
Boston Celtics 109, Indiana Pacers 121
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Pacers.

#### (3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks

* April 26 7:30 PM
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 103, Detroit Pistons 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 28–25, 26–19, 23–28 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 32 Rebs: Kevin Willis 8 Asts: Webb, Battle 3 each | Pts: Joe Dumars 20 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 11 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 14 |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Jake O'Donnell
* TNT
* April 28 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 88, Detroit Pistons 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–22, 18–25, 29–29, 23–25 |||
| Pts: Dominique Wilkins 20 Rebs: Kevin Willis 9 Asts: Dominique Wilkins 5 | Pts: Joe Dumars 28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Mike Mathis, Ronnie Nunn
* April 30 7:30 PM
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 103, Atlanta Hawks 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 15–30, 29–26, 32–15, 27–20 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 30 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 13 | Pts: Kevin Willis 24 Rebs: Kevin Willis 10 Asts: Spud Webb 9 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 13,571 Referees: Hue Hollins, Ed T. Rush, Bill Saar
* TNT
* May 2 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 111, Atlanta Hawks 123 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 37–33, 21–27, 31–38 |||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson 26 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 12 | Pts: Doc Rivers 34 Rebs: Wilkins, Malone 11 each Asts: Spud Webb 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 9,854 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jess Kersey, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* NBC
* May 5 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 81, Detroit Pistons 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 21–24, 16–31, 23–23 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 13 Rebs: Kevin Willis 13 Asts: Jon Koncak 4 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 26 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 20 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 |
| Detroit wins series, 3–2 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Madden, Bill Oakes
Detroit won 5–0 in the regular-season series :
November 17, 1990
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 83, Detroit Pistons 91
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
November 27, 1990
Recap
Detroit Pistons 120, Atlanta Hawks 97
The Omni, Atlanta
December 21, 1990
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 87, Detroit Pistons 113
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
February 20, 1991
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 89, Detroit Pistons 97
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
April 19, 1991
Recap
Detroit Pistons 126, Atlanta Hawks 120
The Omni, Atlanta :
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning three of the first five meetings.
Atlanta leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series :
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
1987
Atlanta Hawks 1, Detroit Pistons 4
1987 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

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

* April 25
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 99, Milwaukee Bucks 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 29–20, 25–23, 21–26 |||
| Pts: Hersey Hawkins 25 Rebs: Barkley, Mahorn 8 each Asts: Charles Barkley 5 | Pts: Frank Brickowski 22 Rebs: Frank Brickowski 9 Asts: Jay Humphries 9 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 13,587 Referees: Joe Crawford, Lee Jones, Blane Reichelt
* April 27
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 116, Milwaukee Bucks 112 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 20–28, 24–25, 28–25, Overtime: 14–10 |||
| Pts: Ron Anderson 24 Rebs: Charles Barkley 13 Asts: Charles Barkley 10 | Pts: Alvin Robertson 31 Rebs: Frank Brickowski 12 Asts: Jay Humphries 8 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 15,623 Referees: Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalak, Don Vaden
* Jay Humphries hits three pointer at the buzzer to force OT.
* April 30
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 100, Philadelphia 76ers 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 15–25, 30–27, 31–39 |||
| Pts: Alvin Robertson 26 Rebs: Robertson, Brickowski 5 each Asts: Jay Humphries 8 | Pts: Charles Barkley 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Hawkins, Barkley 6 each |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 16,239 Referees: Joe Forte, Jack Madden, Ed T. Rush
* Adrian Dantley and Jack Sikma's final NBA game.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
November 8, 1990
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 111, Milwaukee Bucks 141
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
December 4, 1990
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Philadelphia 76ers 109 (OT)
Spectrum, Philadelphia
January 11, 1991
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 120, Milwaukee Bucks 105
Bradley Center, Milwaukee
April 2, 1991
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 121, Philadelphia 76ers 104
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning four of the first seven meetings.
Philadelphia leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series :
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
1987
Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 2
1987 Eastern Conference First Round :

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (8) Seattle SuperSonics

* April 26
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 102, Portland Trail Blazers 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 20–19, 29–28, 30–32 |||
| Pts: Eddie Johnson 33 Rebs: Benoit Benjamin 9 Asts: Gary Payton 8 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 39 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth 13 Asts: Clyde Drexler 9 |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jack Madden, Greg Willard
* April 28
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 106, Portland Trail Blazers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 25–24, 26–26, 31–36 |||
| Pts: Eddie Johnson 28 Rebs: Kemp, Cage 11 each Asts: Payton, McMillan 6 each | Pts: Clyde Drexler 22 Rebs: Kevin Duckworth 10 Asts: Clyde Drexler 10 |
| Portland leads series, 2–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Bruce Alexander, Tommy Nunez Sr., Ed T. Rush
* April 30
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 99, Seattle SuperSonics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 21–29, 32–25, 22–23 |||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler 23 Rebs: Buck Williams 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 11 | Pts: Sedale Threatt 29 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 9 Asts: Nate McMillan 6 |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 14,476 Referees: Mike Mathis, Ed Middleton, Bennett Salvatore
* May 2
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 89, Seattle SuperSonics 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–29, 17–23, 28–24, 17–25 |||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey 20 Rebs: Williams, Robinson 9 each Asts: Jerome Kersey 5 | Pts: Eddie Johnson 34 Rebs: Benjamin, McKey 9 each Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 13,367 Referees: Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak, Ronnie Nunn
* NBC
* May 4
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 107, Portland Trail Blazers 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 18–33, 25–27, 39–29 |||
| Pts: Kemp, Johnson 17 each Rebs: Benoit Benjamin 6 Asts: Gary Payton 7 | Pts: Terry Porter 23 Rebs: Buck Williams 12 Asts: Terry Porter 11 |
| Portland wins series, 3–2 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884
Portland won 4–0 in the regular-season series :
December 1, 1990
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 130, Seattle SuperSonics 124 (3OT)
Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle
January 6, 1991
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 111, Portland Trail Blazers 114
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 26, 1991
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 113, Portland Trail Blazers 126
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 27, 1991
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 112, Seattle SuperSonics 107
Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, Washington :
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
Portland Trail Blazers 2, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1978 Western Conference Semifinals
1980
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1980 Western Conference First Round
1983
Portland Trail Blazers 2, Seattle SuperSonics 0
1983 Western Conference First Round :

#### (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

* April 25
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 121, San Antonio Spurs 130 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 23–33, 19–36, 49–37 |||
| Pts: Mullin, Richmond 29 each Rebs: Chris Mullin 8 Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 | Pts: Willie Anderson 38 Rebs: David Robinson 13 Asts: Rod Strickland 13 |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,908 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ronnie Nunn, Bill Oakes
* NBC
* April 27
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 111, San Antonio Spurs 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 28–21, 29–20, 27–31 |||
| Pts: Chris Mullin 27 Rebs: Chris Mullin 7 Asts: Tim Hardaway 9 | Pts: David Robinson 28 Rebs: David Robinson 15 Asts: Rod Strickland 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,908
* May 1
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 106, Golden State Warriors 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 28–31, 25–20, 22–24 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 27 Rebs: David Robinson 12 Asts: Rod Strickland 7 | Pts: Mitch Richmond 27 Rebs: Tim Hardaway 8 Asts: Tim Hardaway 11 |
| Golden State leads series, 2–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Dan Crawford, Terry Durham, Jake O'Donnell
* May 3
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 97, Golden State Warriors 110 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 27–37, 18–20, 24–28 |||
| Pts: Sean Elliott 23 Rebs: David Robinson 14 Asts: Rod Strickland 8 | Pts: Tim Hardaway 32 Rebs: Mitch Richmond 11 Asts: Tim Hardaway 9 |
| Golden State wins series, 3–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Ed T. Rush
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
November 13, 1990
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 124, Golden State Warriors 128
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
February 5, 1991
Recap
Golden State Warriors 112, San Antonio Spurs 106
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
March 14, 1991
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 101, Golden State Warriors 99
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
April 8, 1991
Recap
Golden State Warriors 105, San Antonio Spurs 115
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Warriors and the Spurs.

#### (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Houston Rockets

* April 25
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 92, Los Angeles Lakers 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 32–26, 16–20, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 22 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: Maxwell, K. Smith 5 each | Pts: Byron Scott 20 Rebs: Vlade Divac 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Bruce Alexander, Dick Bavetta, Jack Madden
* April 27
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 98, Los Angeles Lakers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–23, 25–25, 29–26, 28–35 |||
| Pts: Vernon Maxwell 31 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts: Kenny Smith 7 | Pts: James Worthy 29 Rebs: Vlade Divac 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 21 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* April 30
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 94, Houston Rockets 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 16–22, 27–19, 28–25 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 38 Rebs: Sam Perkins 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 7 | Pts: Thorpe, Olajuwon 21 each Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 17 Asts: Kenny Smith 12 |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,611 Referees: Jess Kersey, Tommy Nunez Sr., Wally Rooney
* Byron Scott hits the clutch shot with 15 seconds left.
Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
November 15, 1990
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Houston Rockets 103 (OT)
The Summit, Houston
January 13, 1991
Recap
Houston Rockets 97, Los Angeles Lakers 116
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
February 19, 1991
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 112, Houston Rockets 103
The Summit, Houston
March 3, 1991
Recap
Houston Rockets 104, Los Angeles Lakers 95
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning two of the first three meetings.
Houston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1981
Houston Rockets 2, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1981 Western Conference First Round
1986
Houston Rockets 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1986 Western Conference Finals
1990
Houston Rockets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1990 Western Conference First Round :

#### (4) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) Utah Jazz

* April 25
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 129, Phoenix Suns 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 27–22, 44–26, 32–24 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 27 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 15 | Pts: Negele Knight 18 Rebs: Jeff Hornacek 5 Asts: Kevin Johnson 6 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 14,487 Referees: Darell Garretson, Hue Hollins, Jack Nies
* April 27
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 92, Phoenix Suns 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 18–17, 19–26, 32–36 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: John Stockton 11 | Pts: Jeff Hornacek 25 Rebs: Andrew Lang 8 Asts: Kevin Johnson 12 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 14,487 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ed Middleton, Bill Oakes
* April 30
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 98, Utah Jazz 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 20–32, 26–23, 25–33 |||
| Pts: Tom Chambers 26 Rebs: Jeff Hornacek 10 Asts: Kevin Johnson 10 | Pts: Karl Malone 32 Rebs: Mike Brown 11 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,616 Referees: Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak, Greg Willard
* May 2
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 93, Utah Jazz 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 23–24, 18–24, 27–34 |||
| Pts: Jeff Hornacek 30 Rebs: Tom Chambers 7 Asts: Kevin Johnson 11 | Pts: Karl Malone 38 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 13 |
| Utah wins series, 3–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,616 Referees: Dan Crawford, Mike Mathis, Bennett Salvatore
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
November 2, 1990
Recap
Phoenix Suns 119, Utah Jazz 96
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
November 3, 1990
Recap
Utah Jazz 102, Phoenix Suns 101
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
February 6, 1991
Recap
Phoenix Suns 99, Utah Jazz 103
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
April 2, 1991
Recap
Utah Jazz 117, Phoenix Suns 131
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first two meetings.
Phoenix leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Phoenix Suns 4, Utah Jazz 2
1984 Western Conference Semifinals
1990
Phoenix Suns 3, Utah Jazz 2
1990 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers

* May 4
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 92, Chicago Bulls 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–34, 22–25, 21–24, 29–22 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 34 Rebs: Charles Barkley 11 Asts: Hawkins, Anderson 3 each | Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Horace Grant 9 Asts: Scottie Pippen 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ronnie Nunn, Bennett Salvatore
* May 6
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Chicago Bulls 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–33, 20–29, 20–22, 27–28 |||
| Pts: Hersey Hawkins 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 9 Asts: Hersey Hawkins 7 | Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 11 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Darell Garretson, Wally Rooney
* May 10
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 97, Philadelphia 76ers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 25–21, 25–28, 21–24 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 46 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 13 Asts: Pippen, Jordan 6 each | Pts: Hersey Hawkins 29 Rebs: Armen Gilliam 11 Asts: Barkley, Turner 7 each |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 18,168 Referees: Hue Hollins, Jack Nies, Ed T. Rush
* May 12
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 101, Philadelphia 76ers 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–20, 26–18, 21–19, 28–28 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 25 Rebs: Horace Grant 11 Asts: Michael Jordan 12 | Pts: Charles Barkley 25 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Charles Barkley 6 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 17,514 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Jake O'Donnell
* 76ers final playoff game at the Spectrum.
* May 14
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 95, Chicago Bulls 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 22–28, 20–23, 24–19 |||
| Pts: Charles Barkley 30 Rebs: Charles Barkley 8 Asts: Charles Barkley 7 | Pts: Michael Jordan 38 Rebs: Michael Jordan 19 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Joe Forte
Philadelphia won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
November 2, 1990
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 124, Chicago Bulls 116
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
January 9, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 107, Philadelphia 76ers 99
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 22, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 90, Philadelphia 76ers 95
Spectrum, Philadelphia
April 7, 1991
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 114, Chicago Bulls 111 (OT)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago :
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 :
1990
Chicago Bulls 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

* May 7
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 86, Boston Celtics 75 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 16–15, 24–16, 22–22 |||
| Pts: James Edwards 18 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 16 Asts: Isiah Thomas 13 | Pts: Reggie Lewis 20 Rebs: Kevin McHale 10 Asts: Brian Shaw 5 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Dan Crawford, Jack Nies, Jake O'Donnell
* May 9
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 103, Boston Celtics 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 27–24, 22–21, 33–38 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 29 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 15 Asts: Joe Dumars 6 | Pts: Reggie Lewis 23 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dee Brown 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,896 Referees: Mike Mathis, Paul Mihalak, Bill Saar
* May 11
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 115, Detroit Pistons 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 27–22, 36–31, 25–21 |||
| Pts: Reggie Lewis 21 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Brown, McHale 6 each | Pts: James Edwards 13 Rebs: Laimbeer, Rodman 12 each Asts: Vinnie Johnson 5 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454
* May 13
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 97, Detroit Pistons 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 25–22, 23–29, 21–22 |||
| Pts: Reggie Lewis 20 Rebs: Robert Parish 10 Asts: Brian Shaw 6 | Pts: Mark Aguirre 34 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 18 Asts: Joe Dumars 8 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Hue Hollins, Ed T. Rush, Bennett Salvatore
* May 15
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 116, Boston Celtics 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 33–24, 23–20, 28–36 |||
| Pts: Joe Dumars 32 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Joe Dumars 8 | Pts: Reggie Lewis 30 Rebs: Reggie Lewis 11 Asts: Dee Brown 10 |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Hugh Evans, Lee Jones, Bill Oakes
* May 17
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 113, Detroit Pistons 117 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 27–27, 25–26, 30–23, Overtime: 8–12 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 34 Rebs: Ed Pinckney 9 Asts: Reggie Lewis | Pts: Joe Dumars 32 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 14 Asts: Joe Dumars 10 |
| Detroit wins series, 4–2 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jack Madden, Mike Mathis
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
December 14, 1990
Recap
Detroit Pistons 100, Boston Celtics 108
Boston Garden, Boston
January 21, 1991
Recap
Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons 101
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
January 23, 1991
Recap
Detroit Pistons 94, Boston Celtics 111
Boston Garden, Boston
April 16, 1991
Recap
Boston Celtics 90, Detroit Pistons 118
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan :
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first five meetings.
Boston leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series :
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
1988
Boston Celtics 2, Detroit Pistons 4
1988 Eastern Conference Finals
1989
Boston Celtics 0, Detroit Pistons 3
1989 Eastern Conference First Round :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Utah Jazz

* May 7
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 97, Portland Trail Blazers 117 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–30, 28–28, 16–24, 28–35 |||
| Pts: John Stockton 23 Rebs: Karl Malone 16 Asts: John Stockton 16 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 20 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 15 Asts: Terry Porter 9 |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Hugh Evans, Steve Javie, Ed Middleton
* May 9
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 116, Portland Trail Blazers 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 16–24, 30–35, 45–31 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 40 Rebs: Karl Malone 16 Asts: John Stockton 12 | Pts: Jerome Kersey 34 Rebs: Jerome Kersey 6 Asts: Clyde Drexler 15 |
| Portland leads series, 2–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ron Garretson, Jack Madden
* May 11
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Utah Jazz 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 18–21, 19–28, 36–30 |||
| Pts: Terry Porter 28 Rebs: Drexler, Kersey 10 each Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 | Pts: Karl Malone 30 Rebs: Karl Malone 21 Asts: John Stockton 15 |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,616
* May 12
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 104, Utah Jazz 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 31–22, 25–24, 22–33 |||
| Pts: Kevin Duckworth 30 Rebs: Duckworth, Drexler 11 each Asts: Clyde Drexler 10 | Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: John Stockton 16 |
| Portland leads series, 3–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,616 Referees: Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalak, Ronnie Nunn
* This was the last game ever played at the Salt Palace.
* May 14
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 96, Portland Trail Blazers 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 28–31, 16–27, 28–25 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 26 Rebs: K. Malone, Eaton 8 each Asts: John Stockton 14 | Pts: Drexler, Porter 22 each Rebs: Buck Williams 12 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8 |
| Portland wins series, 4–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Dan Crawford, Darell Garretson, Jack Nies
Portland won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
December 2, 1990
Recap
Utah Jazz 97, Portland Trail Blazers 101
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
January 31, 1991
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 91, Utah Jazz 105
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City
February 15, 1991
Recap
Utah Jazz 105, Portland Trail Blazers 117
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 15, 1991
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 106, Utah Jazz 96
Salt Palace, Salt Lake City :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1988
Portland Trail Blazers 1, Utah Jazz 3
1988 Western Conference First Round :

#### (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

* May 5
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 116, Los Angeles Lakers 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–35, 26–25, 32–36, 33–30 |||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 33 Rebs: Alton Lister 8 Asts: Hardaway, Marciulionis 9 each | Pts: Byron Scott 27 Rebs: Magic Johnson 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 17 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Steve Javie, Lee Jones, Mike Mathis
* May 8
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 125, Los Angeles Lakers 124 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–32, 23–35, 41–30, 26–27 |||
| Pts: Chris Mullin 41 Rebs: Jim Petersen 7 Asts: Tim Hardaway 14 | Pts: Magic Johnson 44 Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Crawford, Tommy Nunez Sr., Bill Oakes
* May 10
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 115, Golden State Warriors 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–24, 22–26, 24–28, 34–34 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 36 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 15 | Pts: Richmond, Hardaway 24 each Rebs: Chris Mullin 11 Asts: Tim Hardaway 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
* May 12
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 123, Golden State Warriors 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–26, 27–30, 28–27, 34–24 |||
| Pts: Sam Perkins 27 Rebs: Byron Scott 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Mitch Richmond 26 Rebs: Richmond, Mullin 6 each Asts: Tim Hardaway 9 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 15,025 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ron Garretson, Jack Madden
* May 14
* Boxscore
Golden State Warriors 119, Los Angeles Lakers 124 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 26–27, 31–29, 24–33, Overtime: 11–16 |||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 27 Rebs: Mullin, Lister 8 each Asts: Tim Hardaway 20 | Pts: Magic Johnson 28 Rebs: Magic Johnson 14 Asts: Sam Perkins 15 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ronnie Nunn, Jake O'Donnell, Wally Rooney
* Sam Perkins hits the game-tying lay-up with 2.4 seconds left to force OT.
Los Angeles won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 18, 1990
Recap
Golden State Warriors 93, Los Angeles Lakers 115
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
December 15, 1990
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Golden State Warriors 109
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
January 4, 1991
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Golden State Warriors 115
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
January 6, 1991
Recap
Golden State Warriors 108, Los Angeles Lakers 135
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
April 17, 1991
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Golden State Warriors 118
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California :
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first six meetings.
Los Angeles leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series :
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
1987
Golden State Warriors 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1987 Western Conference Semifinals :

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (3) Detroit Pistons

* NBC
* May 19 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 83, Chicago Bulls 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 24–21, 28–23, 18–26 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 25 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 9 Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 | Pts: Michael Jordan 22 Rebs: Horace Grant 10 Asts: three players 6 each |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Jess Kersey, Jack Nies, Jake O'Donnell
* TNT
* May 21 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 97, Chicago Bulls 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 19–22, 20–27, 36–29 |||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson 29 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 11 Asts: Dumars, Thomas 5 each | Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Dan Crawford, Darell Garretson, Steve Javie
* NBC
* May 25 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 113, Detroit Pistons 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 27–27, 31–31, 31–33 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 29 Rebs: four players 7 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 6 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–0 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Hue Hollins, Ed T. Rush
* NBC
* May 27 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 115, Detroit Pistons 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 25–24, 30–20, 28–24 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Horace Grant 9 Asts: Scottie Pippen 10 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 16 Rebs: Thomas, Johnson 7 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 5 |
| Chicago wins series, 4–0 |||
* The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 21,454 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Bennett Salvatore
* In their last show of defiance, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre of the Pistons walked off the court with 7.9 seconds left in Game 4 so as not to congratulate the Bulls. Only Joe Dumars and John Salley shook hands with any of the Bulls. It was later revealed that the reason why the Pistons walked off the court without shaking hands with the Bulls was due to comments said by Michael Jordan in a pre-game interview, where he stated that “The Pistons are undeserving champions”, and that “The Bad Boys are bad for basketball.”
Chicago won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
December 19, 1990
Recap
Chicago Bulls 84, Detroit Pistons 105
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
December 25, 1990
Recap
Detroit Pistons 86, Chicago Bulls 98
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
February 7, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 95, Detroit Pistons 93
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
April 12, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 91, Detroit Pistons 95
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
April 21, 1991
Recap
Detroit Pistons 100, Chicago Bulls 108
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning three of the first four meetings.
Detroit leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1974
Chicago Bulls 4, Detroit Pistons 3
1974 Western Conference Semifinals
1988
Chicago Bulls 1, Detroit Pistons 4
1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1989
Chicago Bulls 2, Detroit Pistons 4
1989 Eastern Conference Finals
1990
Chicago Bulls 3, Detroit Pistons 4
1990 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

* NBC
* May 18 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Portland Trail Blazers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–27, 22–35, 25–30, 31–14 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Sam Perkins 15 Asts: Magic Johnson 21 | Pts: Clyde Drexler 28 Rebs: Buck Williams 10 Asts: Clyde Drexler 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884
* TNT
* May 21 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 98, Portland Trail Blazers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 29–24, 25–25, 21–28 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 21 Rebs: Sam Perkins 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: Terry Porter 26 Rebs: Buck Williams 11 Asts: Terry Porter 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Paul Mihalak
* TNT
* May 24 10:00 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 92, Los Angeles Lakers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 18–16, 19–27, 33–36 |||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey 19 Rebs: Buck Williams 11 Asts: Terry Porter 7 | Pts: James Worthy 25 Rebs: Perkins, Green 9 each Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Forte, Hue Hollins, Mike Mathis
* NBC
* May 26 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 95, Los Angeles Lakers 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 19–30, 29–31, 24–23 |||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey 25 Rebs: Drexler, Williams 8 each Asts: Terry Porter 10 | Pts: Magic Johnson 22 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 9 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505
* NBC
* May 28 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 84, Portland Trail Blazers 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 25–24, 18–28, 16–20 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 29 Rebs: A.C. Green 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 7 | Pts: Jerome Kersey 20 Rebs: Buck Williams 16 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,884 Referees: Jess Kersey, Jack Nies, Jake O'Donnell
* NBC
* May 30 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 90, Los Angeles Lakers 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 26–22, 22–20, 25–21 |||
| Pts: Terry Porter 24 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 8 Asts: Clyde Drexler 6 | Pts: Sam Perkins 26 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 8 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Darell Garretson, Ed T. Rush
Portland won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 6, 1990
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 125, Los Angeles Lakers 123 (OT)
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
January 3, 1991
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 108, Portland Trail Blazers 104
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
February 17, 1991
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 96, Los Angeles Lakers 106
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
March 29, 1991
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 109, Los Angeles Lakers 105 (OT)
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
April 13, 1991
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Portland Trail Blazers 118
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning three of the first four meetings.
Los Angeles leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1977
Los Angeles Lakers 0, Portland Trail Blazers 4
1977 Western Conference Finals
1983
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1983 Western Conference Semifinals
1985
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1985 Western Conference Semifinals
1989
Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 0
1989 Western Conference First Round :

## NBA Finals: (E1) Chicago Bulls vs. (W3) Los Angeles Lakers

* June 2
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 93, Chicago Bulls 91 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 22–23, 24–15, 18–23 |||
| Pts: Perkins, Worthy 22 each Rebs: Vlade Divac 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Michael Jordan 36 Rebs: Horace Grant 10 Asts: Michael Jordan 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Hugh Evans, Jack Madden, Hue Hollins
* Sam Perkins hits the game-winning 3 with 14 seconds left.
* June 5
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 86, Chicago Bulls 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 20–20, 26–38, 17–21 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 24 Rebs: Green, Johnson 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 10 | Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Jordan, Perdue 7 each Asts: Michael Jordan 13 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* Michael Jordan does "The Move".
* June 7
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 104, Los Angeles Lakers 96 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–22, 18–25, 26–20, Overtime: 12–4 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 13 Asts: Michael Jordan 9 | Pts: Sam Perkins 25 Rebs: Sam Perkins 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 10 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,506 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joey Crawford, Bill Oakes
* Michael Jordan hits the game-tying shot with 3.4 seconds left to force OT.
* June 9
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 97, Los Angeles Lakers 82 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 25–16, 22–14, 23–24 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 9 Asts: Michael Jordan 13 | Pts: Vlade Divac 27 Rebs: Vlade Divac 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,506 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Ed T. Rush
* June 12
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 108, Los Angeles Lakers 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 21–24, 32–31, 28–21 |||
| Pts: Scottie Pippen 32 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 13 Asts: Michael Jordan 10 | Pts: Sam Perkins 22 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 20 |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,506 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jack Madden, Mike Mathis
Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series :
December 21, 1990
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Chicago Bulls 114
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
February 3, 1991
Recap
Chicago Bulls 86, Los Angeles Lakers 99
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
Los Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series :
1968
Chicago Bulls 1, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1968 Western Division Semifinals
1971
Chicago Bulls 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1971 Western Conference Semifinals
1972
Chicago Bulls 0, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1972 Western Conference Semifinals
1973
Chicago Bulls 3, Los Angeles Lakers 4
1973 Western Conference Semifinals :

## 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 | 46 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 31.1 | 17 |
| Rebounds | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | 21 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 14.7 | 3 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 21 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 13.8 | 9 |
| Steals | Tim Hardaway | Golden State Warriors | 8 | Tim Hardaway | Golden State Warriors | 3.1 | 9 |
| Blocks | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 8 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 3.8 | 4 |