NBA Conference Finals
Western Division/Conference -- Western Conference Finals
Table:
Year
Champion
Coach
Result
Runner-up
Coach

1971
Milwaukee Bucks†
Larry Costello
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers
Joe Mullaney

1972
Los Angeles Lakers†
Bill Sharman
4–2
Milwaukee Bucks
Larry Costello

1973
Los Angeles Lakers
Bill Sharman
4–1
Golden State Warriors
Al Attles

1974
Milwaukee Bucks†
Larry Costello
4–0
Chicago Bulls
Dick Motta

1975
Golden State Warriors
Al Attles
4–3
Chicago Bulls
Dick Motta

1976
Phoenix Suns
John MacLeod
4–3
Golden State Warriors†
Al Attles

1977
Portland Trail Blazers
Jack Ramsay
4–0
Los Angeles Lakers†
Jerry West

1978
Seattle SuperSonics
Lenny Wilkens
4–2
Denver Nuggets
Larry Brown

1979
Seattle SuperSonics
Lenny Wilkens
4–3
Phoenix Suns
John MacLeod

1980
Los Angeles Lakers
Paul Westhead
4–1
Seattle SuperSonics
Lenny Wilkens

1981
Houston Rockets
Del Harris
4–1
Kansas City Kings
Cotton Fitzsimmons

1982
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley
4–0
San Antonio Spurs
Stan Albeck

1983
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley
4–2
San Antonio Spurs
Stan Albeck

1984
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley
4–2
Phoenix Suns
John MacLeod

1985
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley
4–1
Denver Nuggets
Doug Moe

1986
Houston Rockets
Bill Fitch
4–1
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley

1987
Los Angeles Lakers†
Pat Riley
4–0
Seattle SuperSonics
Bernie Bickerstaff

1988
Los Angeles Lakers†
Pat Riley
4–3
Dallas Mavericks
John MacLeod

1989
Los Angeles Lakers
Pat Riley
4–0
Phoenix Suns
Cotton Fitzsimmons

1990
Portland Trail Blazers
Rick Adelman
4–2
Phoenix Suns
Cotton Fitzsimmons

With reference to the accompanying table plus the background passages provided.

Respond to the question below: who was the champion when the result was 4-2 and one of the coaches was born May 25 , 1926 ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

The 1971 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1970-71 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals . Led by Finals MVP and the previous season 's Rookie of the Year Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson , the Bucks became the fastest expansion team in NBA history to win the championship ( a record that they still hold as of 2018 ) , and did so in dominating fashion , finishing 12-2 in the playoffs with a postseason average point differential of 14.5 . The playoff format changed from the previous 2-division format . There were now 4 , with each division qualifying its champion and second-place team . In the Conference Semifinals , the champion of each division played the 2nd place team in the other , with the divisional champion having home-court advantage . The two winners then played for the conference championship . This was the first NBA Finals appearance for the Bullets , and their only trip to the championship round in Baltimore ; they made 3 more appearances ( winning one title ) later in the decade . The 1971 playoffs was the last for the San Francisco Warriors under that moniker ; the following season , symbolizing their already-established home base of Oakland , they changed their name to the Golden State Warriors .
The 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks season was the third season for the Bucks . Milwaukee posted a 66-16 record in only its third year of existence , and its second since getting Lew Alcindor , later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . Key part of the championship season was the acquisition of Oscar Robertson . Other role players on the Bucks included players such as Bob Dandridge ( 18.4 ppg ) and Jon McGlocklin ( 15.8 ppg ) , power forward Greg Smith and key reserves Lucius Allen , Bob Boozer and Dick Cunningham completing the nucleus . The season included a 20-game winning streak , the NBA 's longest at the time , and still ranked fifth all-time . And the Bucks became the first team from the Midwest Division to win the NBA title ; it would be 23 years before the Houston Rockets would do the same .
Lawrence Ronald Costello ( July 2 , 1931 - December 13 , 2001 ) was an American professional basketball player and coach . He was known as the National Basketball Association 's last two-handed set shooter .
The 1970-71 NBA season was the Lakers ' 23rd season in the NBA and 11th season in Los Angeles . The Lakers would be eliminated by the eventual champions , the Milwaukee Bucks , in five games in the Western Conference Finals . The team 's season roster is featured in the video games NBA 2K16 , NBA 2K17 , and NBA 2K18 .
Joseph Alexander Mullaney ( November 17 , 1924 - March 8 , 2000 ) was an American professional basketball player and coach .
The 1972 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1971-72 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals . Wilt Chamberlain was named NBA Finals MVP . The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in NBA history at 69-13 , a mark that was unequalled until the 1996 Bulls finished 72-10 . Led by Chamberlain and Jerry West , the Lakers won their first title in Los Angeles ; their last title was in 1954 as the Minneapolis Lakers . The Lakers won their first NBA Finals in their last nine appearances without superstar Elgin Baylor , who had played in each of the preceding eight losses . He retired nine games into the season because of ongoing knee problems .
During the 1971-72 season the Los Angeles Lakers won their first National Basketball Association ( NBA ) title since moving to Los Angeles . The Lakers defeated the New York Knicks in five games to win the title , after going 69-13 during the regular-season , a record that stood for 24 seasons until the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10 . During the regular season , they would also go on a current-standing NBA record 33-game winning streak . The team went on to win 81 regular season and playoff games overall , a record that would last for 14 years until Boston Celtics did it in 1986 . In 1996 , the 1971-72 Lakers were named as one of the Top 10 Teams in NBA History .
William Walton Sharman ( May 25 , 1926 - October 25 , 2013 ) was an American professional basketball player and coach . He is mostly known for his time with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s , partnering with Bob Cousy in what some consider the greatest backcourt duo of all time . As a coach , Sharman won titles in the ABL , ABA , and NBA , and is credited with introducing the now ubiquitous morning shootaround . He was the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player , coach , and executive . He was a 10-time NBA champion ( having won four titles as a player with the Celtics , one as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers , and five as a Lakers executive ) , and a 12-time World Champion in basketball overall counting his ABL and ABA titles . Sharman is also a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee , having been being inducted in 1976 as a player , and in 2004 as a coach . Only John Wooden , Lenny Wilkens and Tommy Heinsohn share this double honor .
The 1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks season was the fourth season in franchise history . Led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , the Bucks finished in first place in the Midwest Division . Abdul-Jabbar won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award ahead of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain of the Los Angeles Lakers . On January 9 , 1972 , the Bucks snapped the Los Angeles Lakers 33-game winning streak .
The 1973 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1972-73 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals . The Knicks won their second ( and most recent ) NBA title . Willis Reed became the first player to be named NBA Finals MVP twice . The playoff format was modified , as only the divisional champions qualified automatically ; two wild-cards were also added from each conference . Once qualification was determined , the four qualifiers were seeded 1-4 based on record ; divisional position no longer mattered . The # 1 seed then played # 4 , and # 2 played # 3 . Because of this new format , New York , the Atlantic Division runner-up , had home-court advantage versus the Baltimore Bullets , the Central Division champion , since the Knicks had the better regular-season record . The Bullets had home-court advantage in the 1972 playoffs versus the Knicks and in the 1971 playoffs versus Philadelphia , even though their record was worse than New York 's and Philadelphia 's were those seasons , because they had won their division , while the Knicks and Sixers were runners-up . This was the second straight time ( and third in the last 4 years ) that the Lakers and Knicks met in the Finals ; the Lakers-Knicks rivalry ended with two titles won by the Knicks and one by the Lakers . This was the Lakers ' last appearance in the Finals until 1980 ; It was New York 's last appearance until 1994 .
The 1972-73 NBA season was the Lakers ' 25th season in the NBA and 13th season in Los Angeles . Coming off winning the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks in five games , their sixth NBA Championship , and posting the longest winning streak in NBA history at 33 straight victories , the Lakers hoped to continue their success . However , even though the Lakers managed to make to the NBA Finals again for the third consecutive time , they once again met the New York Knicks for also the third consecutive time , against the team that they defeated in last season 's NBA Finals as well as were defeated by in the season before 's NBA Finals . Just like the season before last season , they were swiftly defeated in five games by the Knicks . Following the season , Wilt Chamberlain retired .
The 1972-73 NBA season was the Warriors ' 27th season in the NBA and 10th in the San Francisco Bay Area .
Alvin Austin Attles Jr. ( born November 7 , 1936 ) is an American former professional basketball player and coach best known for his longtime association with the Golden State Warriors .
The 1974 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1973-74 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion [ [ 1973-74 2019 Division Champ . 2018-19 best record in the NBA.Milwaukee Bucks season|Milwaukee Bucks ] ] 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals . John Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP . It was the Celtics ' twelfth NBA title , and first accomplished in the post-Bill Russell era . It is the last -- to date -- Finals appearance for Milwaukee . Using the revised playoff format adopted in 1973 , two third-place teams ( Buffalo in the East , Detroit in the West ) qualified for the playoffs , while the second-place finishers in the Central ( Atlanta ) and Pacific ( Golden State ) divisions did not . Also , since the top three Western qualifiers were in the Midwest Division , the two divisional champions in the Western Conference ( Milwaukee and Los Angeles ) played in the conference semifinals . With a 4-3 series victory over the Pistons in the first round , the Bulls earned their first playoff series victory . In their first eight years of existence , the Bulls made the playoffs seven times . As a matter of historical curiosity , 3 of the 4 teams in the 1974 Western Conference bracket ( Milwaukee , Detroit and Chicago ) now reside in the Eastern Conference . This was the only appearance of the Capital Bullets in the playoffs under that moniker ; they assumed the Capital name for one year before changing to the Washington Bullets the next season .
The 1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks season was the sixth season for the Bucks . It would also be Oscar Robertsons last season in the league . This would be the most recent season that the Bucks clinch the best record in the league until the 2018-19 NBA season .
The 1973-74 NBA season was the Bulls ' 8th season in the NBA .
John Richard Motta ( born September 3 , 1931 ) is an American former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) spanned 25 years , and he continues to rank among the NBA 's all-time top 10 in coaching victories .
The 1975 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1974-75 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals . Rick Barry was named NBA Finals MVP . The Warriors won their third NBA title and first since 1956 as the Philadelphia Warriors . The playoff format was revised again , as the result of which the first two finishers in each division were guaranteed playoff berths , along with the best third-place team from each conference . Once each conference 's qualifiers were selected , they were seeded 1-5 , with the fourth and fifth seeds playing a best-of-three series , with the victor advancing to play the first seed in a best-of-seven semifinal , while the second and third seeds played the other semifinal . The eight-year-old Seattle SuperSonics made their playoff debut , winning the first playoff series in franchise history against the Detroit Pistons . Seattle would go on to make consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 1978 and 1979 , winning the championship the latter year . The Kansas City-Omaha Kings made their first playoff appearance since 1967 as the Cincinnati Royals , and the Houston Rockets made their first playoff appearance since 1969 as the San Diego Rockets . The 1975 playoffs expanded the number of playoff qualifiers to 10 ; it would be expanded again to 12 in 1977 and again to its current number of 16 in 1984 . At the time , this was the closest the Chicago Bulls came to an NBA title , losing to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals 4-3 . This was their only Western Conference Finals appearance as they would move to the Eastern Conference in 1980 .
The 1974-75 Golden State Warriors season was the 29th season in the franchise 's history , its 13th in California and the fourth playing in Oakland . After four seasons of second-place division finishes , the Warriors made various changes . Nate Thurmond was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Clifford Ray , a young defensive center . The club drafted Keith Wilkes ( later known as Jamaal Wilkes ) , whose nickname was Silk . Cazzie Russell had played out his option and joined the Los Angeles Lakers , leaving Rick Barry as the team 's leader . Coach Al Attles implemented a team-oriented system that drew on the contributions of as many as ten players during a game . Barry scored 30.6 points per game , led the NBA in free throw percentage and steals per game , and was sixth in the league in assists per game . The Warriors captured the Pacific Division title with a 48-34 record . In the playoffs , the Warriors got to the Western Conference Finals by beating the Seattle SuperSonics in six games . In the Western Finals , the Warriors looked like they were about to lose to former teammate Nate Thurmond . The Warriors found themselves down against the Chicago Bulls 3 games to 2 . The Warriors rallied to win Game 6 in Chicago and took the series with an 83-79 Game 7 triumph in Oakland .
The 1976 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1975-76 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . The series was highlighted by Game 5 , a 3-OT victory by Boston . The Celtics won their 13th NBA title , second in the Dave Cowens era . Jo Jo White was named NBA Finals MVP . The Suns earned their first two playoff series victories in franchise history to advance to the NBA Finals ; they won their second ( and as of 2019 [ update ] , most recent ) Western Conference title in 1993 . The sixth-year Cleveland Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance and won their first playoff series . This was the final playoff appearance for the Buffalo Braves franchise in Buffalo and last until 1992 , when they returned as the Los Angeles Clippers . The Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs for the first time since 1971 , starting a 12-year run that included four NBA Finals appearances ( 1977 , 1980 , 1982 , and 1983 ) . Despite winning their division with a losing record of 38-44 , the Milwaukee Bucks were forced to play in the best of three first round against the Detroit Pistons . This is also noted to be the most recent NBA Playoffs that did not include a sweep .
The 1975-76 Phoenix Suns season was the eighth season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . The season included an improbable run to the NBA Finals by a team that had never won a playoff series and made the playoffs only one other season in the franchise 's existence . With a regular season record of 42-40 , the Suns had finished third in the Pacific division standings and improved upon last season 's win total by 10 games . The ensuing playoff run took plenty by surprise , including a seven-game series win against the Western Conference 's top seed Golden State Warriors , a team that had finished 17 games ahead of the Suns in the divisional standings . The franchise 's first Finals appearance pitted them against a 12-time champion in the Boston Celtics , whose roster featured three players from that season 's All-Star Game . The 1976 NBA Finals would feature a memorable Game 5 triple-overtime thriller filled with controversies in which the Suns narrowly lost . Returning home for Game 6 , the demoralized Suns would lose Game 6 and the series but not before endearing a generation of fans to the Suns franchise and showcasing basketball from the desert southwest . The team 's Cinderella season earned them the nickname Sunderella Suns . John MacLeod was head coach and the Suns played their home games at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum .
John Matthew MacLeod ( October 3 , 1937 - April 14 , 2019 ) was an American basketball coach in the NCAA and the National Basketball Association .
Coming off their NBA Championship , the Warriors finished the 1975-76 season with a then franchise best 59-23 record . The record would be surpassed when the team won the championship 39 years later .
The 1977 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1976-77 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . It was Portland 's first ( and so far [ update ] , only ) NBA title . Bill Walton was named NBA Finals MVP . Portland won the NBA title in its first playoff appearance , something that had not taken place since the early days of the BAA ( and has not since , as of 2018 ) . The Trail Blazers went 10-0 at home in the playoffs . This was the first NBA playoffs after the ABA-NBA merger ; two of the former ABA teams ( the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets ) made their playoff debuts in their first NBA season . The New Jersey Nets made their playoff debut in 1979 , and the Indiana Pacers in 1981 . The NBA Playoffs added 1 more team from each conference , for a total of 12 contestants , up from 10 the previous year . Also , the two division winners in each conference were automatically given a first-round bye and started the playoffs in the conference semi-finals . This was the Detroit Pistons last playoff appearance of the decade and their last as a Western Conference team as they would move to the East in 1978 . They would not make the postseason again until 1984 .
The 1976-77 season was the Portland Trail Blazers ' 7th season in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . The revamped Blazers would end up getting off to a terrific start winning 22 of their first 31 games . The Blazers won their last 5 games to post a record of 49-33 . The Blazers made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and proceeded to stampede through the postseason . By the time the Blazers had made it to the 1977 NBA Finals , the city of Portland was truly in the grips of Blazermania . After losing the first two games of the championship series at Philadelphia , the Trail Blazers won four in a row to bring the trophy to Portland . The championship capped the team 's first winning season . The Blazers had a remarkable 45-6 record at home , which included a perfect 10-0 mark in the playoffs . As of 2019 , this remains the only NBA Championship in Blazers franchise history , though they did make Finals appearances in 1990 and 1992 , but lost to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls , respectively .
John Travilla Ramsay ( February 21 , 1925 - April 28 , 2014 ) was an American basketball coach , commonly known as Dr. Jack ( as he held an earned doctorate ) . He was best known for leading the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title , and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers , the Miami Heat , and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio . Ramsay was among the most respected coaches in NBA history and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . He was the winner of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2009-10 NBA season .
The 1976-77 NBA season was the Lakers ' 29th season in the NBA and 17th season in Los Angeles .
Jerome Alan West ( born May 28 , 1938 ) is an American basketball executive and former player . During his active career West played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . His nicknames included Mr . Clutch , for his ability to make a big play in a clutch situation , such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks ; The Logo , in reference to his silhouette being incorporated into the NBA logo ; Mr. Outside , in reference to his perimeter play with the Los Angeles Lakers ; and Zeke from Cabin Creek , for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan , West Virginia . West played the small forward position early in his career , and he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University , where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game . He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss . He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers , and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team , a squad that was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 . West 's NBA career was highly successful . Playing the guard position , he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams , was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times , and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972 , the same year that he won the only title of his career . West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3 . He was also a member of the first five NBA All-Defensive Teams ( one second , followed by four firsts ) , which were introduced when he was 32 years old . Having played in nine NBA Finals , he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team ( 1969 ) .
The 1978 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1977-78 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals . Wes Unseld was named NBA Finals MVP . To date , it remains the only NBA title that the Bullets ( since renamed the Wizards ) have won . It was the third NBA Finals appearance and first title for the Bullets , founded in 1961 . The Sonics made the Finals for the first time in their 11-year existence . This would be the first of two straight meetings in the Finals between the Bullets and Sonics , with Seattle winning the title the next year . This was the first time since the expansion of the playoff field to 10 teams in 1975 that neither conference champion had the benefit of a first-round bye by being one of the top two teams in the conference during the regular season . The 1979 Finals rematch between the Sonics and Bullets took place with both teams as the # 1 seed in their respective conference . The Denver Nuggets , one of the four former American Basketball Association teams to join the NBA the previous season , became the first of them to win an NBA playoff series , defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in a 7-game conference semifinal .
The 1977-78 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 11th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . With a disappointing 5-17 start , the Sonics replaced coach Bob Hopkins with future Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens , who led the team to a 47-35 finish . In the playoffs , the SuperSonics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in three games in the First Round , then upset the defending NBA champions Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals , before finally defeating the Denver Nuggets in six games in the Conference Finals , making their first trip to the NBA Finals in franchise history , where they lost the series to the Washington Bullets in 7 games .
Leonard Randolph Wilkens ( born October 28 , 1937 ) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame , first in 1989 as a player , as a coach in 1998 , and in 2010 as part of the 1992 United States Olympic Dream Team , for which he was an assistant coach . He is also a 2006 inductee into the College Basketball Hall of Fame . Wilkens was a combined 13-time NBA All-Star as a player ( nine times ) and as a head coach ( four times ) , was the 1993 NBA Coach of the Year , won the 1979 NBA Championship as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics , and an Olympic gold medal as the head coach of the 1996 U.S. men 's basketball team . During the 1994-95 season , Wilkens set the record for most coaching wins in NBA history , a record he held when he retired with 1,332 victories . Wilkens is now second on the list behind Don Nelson , who broke it in 2010 . He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2010-11 NBA season . Wilkens is also the most prolific coach in NBA history , at 2,487 regular season games , 89 more games than Nelson , and over 400 more than any other coach , and has more losses than any other coach in NBA history , at 1,155 .
The 1977-78 NBA season was the Nuggets ' 2nd season in the NBA and 11th season as a franchise . In the playoffs , the Nuggets defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games in the Semifinals , winning their first playoff series in the NBA , before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics in six games in the Conference Finals .
Lawrence Harvey Brown ( born September 14 , 1940 ) is a former American basketball coach and player who was most recently the head coach for Auxilium Torino of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A ( LBA ) and EuroCup Basketball . Brown is the only coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA national championship ( Kansas Jayhawks , 1988 ) and an NBA title ( Detroit Pistons , 2004 ) . He has a 1,275-965 lifetime professional coaching record in the American Basketball Association ( ABA ) and the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and is the only coach in NBA history to lead eight teams to the playoffs . He also won an ABA championship as a player with the Oakland Oaks in the 1968-69 season , and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1964 . He is also the only person ever to coach two NBA franchises in the same season ( Spurs and Clippers during the 1991-92 NBA season ) . Before coaching , Brown played collegiately at the University of North Carolina and professionally in the ABA . Brown was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach on September 27 , 2002 . Although widely considered one of the greatest coaches in basketball history , he has developed a reputation for constantly looking for better coaching opportunities and frequently switching teams or programs before the expiration of his contract .
The 1979 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Associations 1978-79 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals . The Sonics earned their only NBA title . Dennis Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP . The Finals was a rematch of 1978 , in which Washington defeated Seattle 4-3 . As of the 2018-19 season [ update ] , this remains the last time the Bullets ( now the Wizards ) have advanced as far as the Conference Finals . The Spurs made their first visit to the Conference Finals in these playoffs . This was the first time that three of the former ABA teams made the playoffs , as it was the NBA playoff debut of the New Jersey Nets . This was the first time both conference finals went to a deciding Game 7 since 1963 and the last until 2018 .
The 1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics season was the team 's 12th since the franchise began , and their most successful , winning their only NBA title . In the playoffs , the SuperSonics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Semifinals , then defeated the Phoenix Suns in seven games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season , in a rematch of the 1978 NBA Finals , facing the defending NBA champion Washington Bullets , whom they had lost to in seven games . The Sonics would go on to avenge their NBA Finals loss and defeat the Bullets in five games , winning their first and only NBA championship . Dennis Johnson was named the NBA Finals MVP . This was Seattle 's first professional sports championship since the Seattle Metropolitans victory in the Stanley Cup in 1917 .
The 1978-79 Phoenix Suns season was the 11th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association and the first time they reached the 50-win mark to end the regular season . The team repeated a second-place finish in an expanded Pacific division and the Western Conference 's second-best record , thus earning a spot in the playoffs , the franchise 's first time extending the season in back-to-back seasons . For the first time since the '75-'76 team , the Suns returned to the Western Conference Finals , before being dispatched by Pacific division champion Seattle in seven games . The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum . Paul Westphal , whom led the Suns with his 24 points per game , made his third straight appearance in the All-Star Game and was again named to the All-NBA First Team . Walter Davis followed up his Rookie of the Year Award performance from the previous season with his second consecutive All-Star selection and by season 's end , voted to the All-NBA Second Team . Fourth-year big man Alvan Adams hauled in a career-high 9.2 rebounds a game to go with an average of 17.8 points .
The 1980 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1979-80 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . The Lakers earned their seventh NBA title , their second since moving from Minneapolis . Magic Johnson became the first and ( as of 2019 [ update ] ) , only rookie to be named NBA Finals MVP , leading L.A. to a clinching Game 6 victory with 42 points , 15 rebounds and 7 assists . With center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severely sprained ankle , Johnson started at center instead , and ultimately played all five positions on the court in the game . Philadelphia earned their third Eastern Conference championship , but were unsuccessful in capturing their second NBA title . The Milwaukee Bucks appeared in the playoffs for the last time as a member of the West ; the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs likewise appeared for the last time playing for the East . They switched conferences ( along with the Chicago Bulls ) in the 1980-81 season with the addition of the Dallas Mavericks . The Bucks made the playoffs for the first time since 1978 , starting a string of twelve consecutive appearances that included three Conference Finals appearances ( 1983 , 1984 , and 1986 ) and seven consecutive division titles ( 1980-1986 ) . They did not miss the playoffs again until 1992 .
The highlight of the Los Angeles Lakers season of 1979-80 was rookie Magic Johnson leading the Lakers to their seventh NBA Championship , defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the NBA Finals . This was also the team 's first season under the ownership of Jerry Buss . Magic 's season represented the birth of the Showtime Lakers .
Paul William Westhead ( born February 21 , 1939 ) is an American basketball coach who most recently was the head coach of the University of Oregon women 's team . In his first year as an NBA head coach , he led a rookie Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers to the 1980 NBA Title . He has previously been a head coach for three National Basketball Association ( NBA ) teams and an assistant for four others , and has also coached in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) , Women 's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) , American Basketball Association ( ABA ) and Japan Basketball League ( JBL ) . He won titles in both the NBA and WNBA , and is also remembered as the coach of the Loyola Marymount University ( LMU ) men 's basketball team during that school 's era of greatest basketball glory . Westhead is known for an unorthodox , run-and-gun style called The System . He attended Saint Joseph 's University .
The 1979-80 NBA season was the SuperSonics ' 13th season in the NBA . The SuperSonics entered the season as the defending NBA champions , having defeated the Washington Bullets in five games in the 1979 NBA Finals , winning their first and only NBA championship . In the playoffs , the SuperSonics defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in three games in the First Round , then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games in the Semifinals , before losing to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Conference Finals .
The 1981 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1980-81 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Cedric Maxwell was named NBA Finals MVP . The playoffs are notable for being the second and final time to date that a team with a losing record advanced to the NBA Finals ( the Minneapolis Lakers did it first in 1959 with a 33-39 record ) , as the Rockets won their first Western Conference title despite having a 40-42 record . This was the only time in NBA history in which two teams with a losing record played each other in a Conference Finals , though the 1957 Western Division Finals did feature two teams with losing records . The Rockets and the Kansas City Kings , both with a 40-42 record , played in the Western Conference Finals which saw the Rockets prevail 4-1 . The Kings ' playoff series victories over the Blazers and Suns were their last in Kansas City . Their last playoff series in Kansas City was a 3-game sweep in the first round in 1984 by the Lakers . They moved to Sacramento after the 1984-85 season and did n't win a playoff series representing northern California until 2001 . The Pacers became the last former ABA team to make their playoff debut , but were quickly swept by the 76ers 2-0 . This is the last year to date that an NBA playoff game was played in March . The Celtics replicated their 1968 comeback by beating the Sixers in 7 after trailing 3-1 .
The 1980-81 Houston Rockets season saw the Rockets lose the NBA Finals . The 1981 Rockets are the only team since the 1959 Minneapolis Lakers to make the NBA Finals with a losing record . In the playoffs , the Rockets defeated the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in three games in the First Round , then defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Semifinals , and the Kansas City Kings in five games in the Conference Finals , reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history , only to fall to the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals .
Delmer William Harris ( June 18 , 1937 ) is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends , the NBA D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks . He served as a head coach for the NBA 's Houston Rockets , Milwaukee Bucks , and Los Angeles Lakers , as well as the Legends . He was also an assistant coach for the National Basketball Association 's New Jersey Nets , Chicago Bulls , Dallas Mavericks , Milwaukee Bucks , and the Houston Rockets .
The 1980-81 NBA season was the Kings 32nd season in the NBA and their ninth season in the city of Kansas City . The Kansas City Kings made the playoffs with a 40-42 win loss record and appeared in the western conference finals where they lost to the also 40-42 Houston Rockets . This is the only time two NBA teams with losing records have made it to the conference finals .
Lowell Cotton Fitzsimmons ( October 7 , 1931 - July 24 , 2004 ) was an American college and NBA basketball coach . A native of Bowling Green , Missouri , he attended and played basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange Junior College in Hannibal , Missouri and Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls , Texas . He coached the Phoenix Suns three times , was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice , and is often credited as the architect of the Suns ' success of the late 1980s and early to middle 1990s . Fitzsimmons won 1,089 games in his coaching career : 223 games at the junior college level , 34 at the Division I college level and 832 in the NBA .
The 1982 NBA playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1981-82 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time . It was the second NBA Finals meeting in three years between the Lakers and Sixers , and ended with the same result - a 4-2 Lakers victory - as the previous confrontation . They met again in 1983 , with Philadelphia getting revenge in a sweep . The Sixers beat the Celtics again in the Eastern Conference Finals , the second of their three series wins in a four-year stretch . The Bullets ' 2-0 sweep of the Nets was their last playoff series victory until 2005 . This was the third straight year the Bucks failed to advance to the third round with the # 2 seed despite a first-round bye .
The 1981-82 NBA season saw the Lakers win their eighth NBA championship .
Patrick James Riley ( born March 20 , 1945 ) is an American professional basketball executive and a former coach and player in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995 and head coach in two separate tenures ( 1995 through 2003 , and 2005 through 2008 ) . Regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time , Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams . He won four with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s , and one with the Heat in 2006 . He was named NBA Coach of the Year three times ( 1989-90 , 1992-93 and 1996-97 , as head coach of the Lakers , New York Knicks and Heat , respectively ) . He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times : eight times with the Western Conference team ( 1982 , 1983 , 1985-1990 , all as head coach of the Lakers ) and once with the Eastern team ( 1993 , as head coach of the Knicks ) . He is the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player , assistant coach , head coach , and as an executive . In 1996 , he was named one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in NBA history . As a player , he played for the Lakers ' championship team in 1972 . Riley most recently won the 2012 and 2013 NBA championships with the Heat as their team president . He received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the NBA Coaches Association on June 20 , 2012 .
The 1981-82 NBA season was the Spurs ' sixth season in the NBA and 15th season as a franchise . George Gervin was the winner of a fourth scoring title in five years with 32.3 points per game . The Spurs won their second straight division title with a record of 48-34 . In the playoffs the Spurs beat the Seattle SuperSonics in 5 games . In the Western Finals , the Spurs would be swept in 4 straight by the Los Angeles Lakers .
Charles Stanley Albeck ( born May 17 , 1931 ) is a former professional basketball coach . Albeck has coached for several teams in the American Basketball Association ( ABA ) and National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , including the Denver Rockets , the San Diego Conquistadors , ( often subbing for an absent Wilt Chamberlain ) , the Cleveland Cavaliers , the San Antonio Spurs , the New Jersey Nets , and the Chicago Bulls .
The 1983 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1982-83 season . This was the final postseason using the 12-team format , before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals . Moses Malone was named NBA Finals MVP . Malone made a famous prediction about the Sixers ' chances prior to the playoffs , saying Fo ' , fo ' , fo ' - predicting the number of games the Sixers would need to win each of the three series they would play on the way to a championship . They nearly accomplished this prediction of a sweep of all three rounds , only losing one game ( to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals ) en route to the championship . The Sixers set a record for highest winning percentage in the playoffs that was not broken until the Lakers went 15-1 in 2001 . The Lakers ' mark , however , came after the expansion to the current 16-team , four-round playoff format , which was first implemented in the 1984 playoffs , while the Sixers avoided the first round by virtue of their top seeding . It was the third time in four years that the Lakers and 76ers had met in the NBA Finals , with the Lakers winning the previous two series . After missing the playoffs the previous year , the Blazers began a string of 21 straight playoff appearances in 1983 lasting until 2003 . They made the playoffs 25 out of 26 years from their title-winning season of 1977-2003 . The record was just one season shy of the 22-year playoff run set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1950-1971 .
In the 1982-83 NBA season , the Lakers were attempting to become the first team since the Boston Celtics in 1969 to repeat as NBA Champions . However , on April 10 , 1983 , rookie James Worthy injured his leg while attempting a putback in a home loss against Phoenix , ending his rookie season . Even without Worthy for the playoffs , the Lakers did make it to the NBA Finals , only to be swept in four games by the Julius Erving and Moses Malone led Philadelphia 76ers .
The 1982-83 NBA season was the Spurs ' seventh season in the NBA and 16th season as a franchise .
The 1984 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1983-84 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals . Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP . This was the first postseason allowing 16 teams to qualify , a format still in use . The first round format was also changed from best-of-3 to best-of 5 . It was the first NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Lakers since 1969 ; they met 7 times in the Finals from 1959-69 , with Boston coming out on top each year . Going into the 1984 playoffs , the Lakers had already won 2 titles in the 1980s and the Celtics 1 , making the revival of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry arguably inevitable and certainly highly anticipated . Two teams made their playoff debuts and won their first playoff series : the Utah Jazz ( who joined the NBA for the 1974-75 season as the New Orleans Jazz ) and Dallas Mavericks , a 1981 expansion team . The Jazz did not miss the playoffs again until 2004 . The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time since 1977 , starting a string of nine consecutive appearances that included five straight Conference Finals appearances ( 1987-1991 ) , three consecutive NBA Finals appearances ( 1988 , 1989 , and 1990 ) and two NBA Championships . They did not miss the playoffs again until 1993 . The New Jersey Nets won a playoff series for the first time in their NBA history , upsetting the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in 5 .
The 1983-84 season for the Los Angeles Lakers saw them lose in the 1984 NBA Finals against Larry Bird 's Boston Celtics in seven well-fought games . The Lakers were coming off of an NBA Finals loss to the Julius Erving and Moses Malone led Philadelphia 76ers , in which they were swept in four games . The Los Angeles Lakers , powered by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( who broke the NBA 's all-time total points record ) and Magic Johnson with his 13.1 assists per game ( tops in '84 ) , ended up winning 54 games in the 1983-84 NBA season . On April 5 , 1984 , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a 12-foot shot over Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz 1 to surpass Wilt Chamberlain as the NBA 's all-time leading scorer with 31,421 points . In the playoffs , the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in the first round , Dallas Mavericks in the second , and the Phoenix Suns in the 1984 Western Conference Finals in order to advance to what is called the greatest NBA Finals in history , against Larry Bird 's formidable , 62-20 Boston Celtics . The Lakers ' early step on the green team in the Championship caused Bird to label teammates sissies . The words inspired the Celtics , and shot down the Lakers , and the C 's won game 7 111-102 , a Laker heartbreaker , and still , arguably , the most memorable Finals of the 1980s .
The 1983-84 Phoenix Suns season was the 16th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . The Suns were in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season , extending a then-franchise record . The Suns eliminated their first round opponent , Portland , three games to two before defeating the Utah Jazz and NBA leading scorer , Adrian Dantley , four games to two . In the Western Conference Finals , the Suns lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games . The team was led by head coach John MacLeod , in his 11th year with the Suns , and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum . Walter Davis led the Suns in scoring with 20 points per game . Larry Nance , who finished the season fourth in the NBA in blocks per game for the second straight year , was second in team scoring at 17.7 . Davis returned to the All-Star Game , the only Sun from the season to be selected to do so . Maurice Lucas again averaged a double-double again for the Suns with 16 points and 10 rebounds per game . Although Nance did not earn his first All-Star selection until the next season , he did participate in the NBA 's first Slam Dunk Contest on All-Star Weekend . While Julius Erving ( Dr. J ) provided a memorable dunk from the foul line , it was Nance who was crowned the league 's first Slam Dunk champion .
The 1985 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1984-85 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time ( he had won the award under his birth name , Lew Alcindor , as a Buck in 1971 ) . The Lakers had been unsuccessful in their previous eight attempts to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals , losing 7 times from 1959-1969 and 1984 . The Lakers , moreover , won the title in Boston , something no other NBA team has ever accomplished . The Cavaliers made the playoffs for the first time since 1978 . It was also the first time that all three teams from Texas made the playoffs in the same year . The Denver Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1978 and would not advance that far again until 2009 . The Philadelphia 76ers , on the other hand , advanced to the conference finals for the fifth time in six years , but would not reach that level again until 2001 . It was also the first time that Turner Broadcasting was covering the playoffs as TBS was the home for some playoff games .
The 1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 39th season of the franchise , 37th in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and 25th in Los Angeles . The Lakers entered the season as runner-ups of the 1984 NBA Finals , where they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Boston Celtics in seven games , increasing their losing streak to the Celtics in the NBA Finals to 8 consecutive losses . In the playoffs , the Lakers swept in the Phoenix Suns in three games in the First Round , then defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the Semifinals , before defeating the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the fifth time in the 1980s , facing off against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in a rematch of last season 's NBA Finals . This time , however , the Lakers were able to return to their championship ways and win their ninth NBA championship , avenging their NBA Finals loss and getting revenge on the Celtics , defeating them in six games , and marking the first time the Lakers had defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals . The Lakers also became the only team to have defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals while on the road .
The 1984-85 Denver Nuggets season was their 18th season , and their ninth in the NBA . In the playoffs , the Nuggets defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the First Round , then defeated the Utah Jazz in five games in the Semifinals , before losing to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Conference Finals .
Douglas Edwin Moe ( born September 21 , 1938 ) is an American former professional basketball player and coach . As a head coach with the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) , he was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 1988 .
The 1986 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1985-86 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Larry Bird was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time . This was the second NBA Finals meeting between the Celtics and Rockets ; they met in the 1981 NBA Finals with the same result . It was the third of four straight Eastern Conference championships for Boston , who won 67 games that year , and went 40-1 at home . The Rockets , meanwhile had won just their second conference title in franchise history . Second-year player Michael Jordan put on a record-setting performance in Game 2 of the Bulls ' first-round series against the Celtics , scoring 63 points in a 2-OT loss , which surpassed Elgin Baylor 's 61-point performance from the 1962 NBA Finals and still stands as the NBA Playoff scoring record . Jordan averaged 44.7 points per game in the series , but was unable to prevent the Bulls from being swept by a more experienced , more talented Celtics team . The Bulls set a dubious mark by posting the second worst record for a playoff-qualifying team in history , going just 30-52 during the season . Game 2 , where the record was set , was ranked by TV Guide as the 26th Most Memorable Moment in Television History , [ citation needed ] and is credited with boosting the NBA 's popularity surge and eventual rise to near the top of the United States television sports market , [ citation needed ] trailing only football by the mid-90s . [ citation needed ] The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years that the Milwaukee Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals , but it would be their last appearance in the series until 2001 . The Celtics avenged their 1983 sweep by sweeping the Bucks in four games .
The 1985-86 Houston Rockets season saw the Rockets lose the 1986 NBA Finals to the Larry Bird-led Boston Celtics in six games . In the playoffs , the Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings in three games in the First Round , then defeated the Denver Nuggets in six games in the Semifinals , before dethroning the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Conference Finals after Ralph Sampson hit a 20-foot jumper as time expired in game five at The Forum to reach the NBA Finals . In the NBA Finals , the Rockets faced off against the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals , where the Celtics won in six games . Just like in their previous NBA Finals meeting , the Rockets would lose in six games against the Celtics .
William Charles Fitch ( born May 19 , 1932 ) is an American former National Basketball Association ( NBA ) coach who had been successful in developing a number of teams into playoff contenders . Before entering the professional ranks , he coached college basketball at the University of Minnesota , Bowling Green State University , the University of North Dakota , and his alma mater , Coe College . Fitch 's teams twice qualified for the NCAA tournament . He won the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2012-13 NBA season . Fitch was a United States Marine Corps drill instructor , a fact that Larry Bird credited in his book Drive : The Story of My Life as an important reason for Bird 's own strong work ethic . Bill Fitch was elected to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 .
The 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 40th season of the franchise , 38th in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and 26th in Los Angeles . The Lakers entered the season as the defending NBA champion , having defeated the previous NBA champion and rival Boston Celtics in the 1985 NBA Finals in six games , having finally defeated the Celtics in the NBA Finals after having lost to them 8 consecutive times in the championship series . The Lakers looked to repeat as NBA Champions , after sweeping the San Antonio Spurs in three games in the First Round , and then defeating the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the Semifinals in the playoffs , but were unable to defend their title , as they lost to the Houston Rockets in the Conference Finals in five games after winning the first game , but proceeded to lose the following four . The Rockets would go on to lose to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in six games .
The 1987 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1986-87 season . The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . The Lakers earned their 10th NBA championship , and Magic Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP for a then-record third time . This was the last time the Celtics would appear in the NBA Finals until 2008 . Boston only advanced as far as the Conference Finals twice in that stretch : losing the following year to the Detroit Pistons in six games and in 2002 to the New Jersey Nets , also in 6 games . The Pistons appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals was the franchise 's first ( and their first Division/Conference Final appearance since 1962 ) . It would be the first of five straight Conference Finals appearances for Detroit . They would make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1956 the following season , the first of 3 straight trips to the Finals ( winning the last 2 ) . The Warriors & Pacers made their first playoff appearances since 1977 and 1981 respectively . The Pacers also won their first NBA playoff game , in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hawks . By beating Dallas 3-1 , the Supersonics became the first # 7 seed to defeat a # 2 seed since the playoffs expanded to 16 teams in 1984 . They reached the Western Conference Finals , where they were swept by the Lakers .
The 1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 41st season of the franchise , 39th in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and 27th in Los Angeles . Coming from a shocking defeat to the Houston Rockets in the previous season 's Western Conference Finals in five games , where they won the first game , but proceeded to drop the next four , the Lakers avenged their playoff upset by making the NBA Finals for the sixth time in the 1980s . Prior to reaching the NBA Finals , in the playoffs , the Lakers swept the Denver Nuggets in three games in the First Round , defeated the Golden State Warriors in five games in the Semifinals , and swept the Seattle SuperSonics in four games in the Conference Finals . This team was named one of the 10 greatest teams in NBA history . The highlight of the season saw the Lakers winning the NBA Finals , and their tenth NBA title over the defending NBA champions and rivals , the Boston Celtics , in six games . This marked the third and final time the Lakers and Celtics faced off against each other in the NBA Finals in the 1980s , as well as the last time the Lakers and Celtics faced off against each other in the NBA Finals until 2008 , where the Celtics defeated the Lakers 4-2 to win their 17th NBA championship . The two teams would then meet again in 2010 , where the Lakers defeated the Celtics 4-3 to win their 16th NBA championship .
The 1986-87 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 20th season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association . Bernie Bickerstaff returned for his second season as head coach of the franchise and , despite a modest improvement over their previous season 's 31-51 record , managed to clinch a spot in the playoffs , where they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in four games in the First Round , and then the Houston Rockets in six games in the Semifinals , reaching the Western Conference Finals , only to be swept in four games to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers . The 39-43 Sonics remain the last team to date in the NBA to win a playoff series with a losing regular season record . It is also their first year without team captain Jack Sikma as he was traded in the offseason .
Bernard Tyrone Bickerstaff ( born February 11 , 1944 ) is an American basketball coach and front office executive , currently serving as the Senior Basketball Advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers . As a coach , he previously worked as the head coach for the NBA 's Seattle SuperSonics , Denver Nuggets , Washington Bullets/Wizards , Charlotte Bobcats , and Los Angeles Lakers . He has also been an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers , Chicago Bulls , Los Angeles Lakers , and Cavaliers . He has served in numerous other NBA front office positions , and has been a consultant for the Harlem Globetrotters .
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 .
The 1987-88 season saw the Lakers win their eleventh NBA championship , defeating the Detroit Pistons in a hard-fought seven games in the NBA Finals to become the NBAs first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968-69 NBA season . In doing so , the Lakers made good on Pat Riley 's famous promise to repeat as champions . I 'm guaranteeing everybody here , Riley said at the civic celebrations following the Lakers 1987 championship win , next year were gon na win it again . Before the Lakers could make good on Riley 's guarantee , they swept the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round of the playoffs . The following two rounds however would not be as easy for the Lakers , but they still managed to get through a tough seven-game series against both the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semis and the Dallas Mavericks Western Conference Finals . By the time the Lakers had finished their season they had played an NBA record 106 games including another record 24 playoff games , winning 77 and losing 29 . The Lakers went 62-20 in the regular season and 15-9 in the playoffs . The 1988 Finals was the last time the Showtime-era Lakers won an NBA championship . It was also the final time that the franchise won a championship at The Forum . They did not win another league title until 2000 , when they were playing at the Staples Center . Magic Johnson , James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were all selected to play in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game held in Chicago . Pat Riley was chosen to coach the Western Conference All-Stars .
The 1987-88 Dallas Mavericks season was the eighth season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . The Mavericks finished second in the Midwest Division with a 53-29 record . They defeated the Houston Rockets four games in the first round of the 1988 NBA Playoffs , then defeated the 2nd-seeded Denver Nuggets six games in the semifinals . The Mavs made their first appearance in the Western Conference Finals , where they pushed the eventual-champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games . The Mavs were coached by John MacLeod and played their home games at Reunion Arena . Mark Aguirre and James Donaldson were both selected to play in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago . This was Donaldson 's only All-Star Game appearance in his career .
The 1989 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1988-89 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals . Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP . The Pistons had one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history , finishing 15-2 with their only losses to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals . The Lakers won the Western Conference title without losing a game , and entered the NBA Finals as the heavy favorites . However , they were swept in the Finals by the Pistons , due in part to season-ending injuries suffered by Magic Johnson and Byron Scott . The Lakers became the first team in NBA history to open an NBA post-season with 11 straight victories and to sweep three series in an NBA post-season . Chicago advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1975 ( and the first time in Michael Jordan 's career ) , but their season was ended by Detroit for the second straight year . Two rounds earlier , Jordan hit The Shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer to beat the Cavs . The Boston Celtics ' first-round playoff sweep by the Pistons was the first time they failed to get past the round of 16 . Boston 's chances were hampered by the absence of Larry Bird during these playoffs due to a season-ending injury earlier in the season ; the first and only time in Bird 's NBA career he 'd miss playing in the playoffs . Former Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan made the first of 19 playoff appearances in a 22-year tenure .
The 1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 43rd season of the franchise , 41st in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and 29th in Los Angeles . The Lakers finished with a 57-25 regular season recorded , earning them the top playoff seed in the Western Conference . After marching undefeated through the first three rounds , the Lakers were seen as the favorites in the 1989 NBA Finals , in a rematch against the Detroit Pistons , who they defeated in last season 's NBA Finals in a hard fought seven games . However , after injuries to their starting backcourt of Magic Johnson and Byron Scott , the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in four games . After the finals concluded , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced his retirement after twenty seasons . The 1988-89 season marked an end to a run of eight consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances for the Lakers , the most since the 1968-69 Boston Celtics , as in the following season , the Lakers would lose in the Conference Semifinals to the Phoenix Suns in five games .
The 1988-89 Phoenix Suns season was the 20th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Cotton Fitzsimmons , Suns head coach for the '70-'71 and '71-'72 seasons , returned to the franchise where he got his first head coaching position . The Suns also enjoyed the benefits of the NBA 's first free agent signing which brought Tom Chambers to the Valley of the Sun , who would have an All-Star season his first year in Phoenix . The Suns ' regular seasons successes were carried on through the playoffs , sweeping Denver in the first round and defeating Golden State four games to one in the Western Conference Semifinals . The Suns saw their playoff fortunes reverse in the Conference Finals when they met the season 's MVP Magic Johnson and the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers , getting swept four games to zero . All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum . Chambers headed a triplet of Suns who averaged 20 points or more for the season , with Chambers leading the way at 25.7 points per game . Eddie Johnson , who would earn the season 's Sixth Man Award , came off the bench for 21.5 per while second-year point guard Kevin Johnson obtained his 20.4 average through a starting role . Johnson , enjoying his first full season with the Suns after a midseason trade the year before , earned Most Improved Player of the Year Award while finishing third behind future Hall of Famers John Stockton and Magic Johnson in assists per game with a 12.2 average . Johnson blossomed in his role with the Suns , appearing in 81 games and finishing second in the league in average minutes per game .
The 1990 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1989-90 season . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals . Isiah Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP . It was the Blazers ' first trip to the NBA Finals since their victory in the 1977 NBA Finals . The New York Knicks fell behind 2-0 to the Boston Celtics in their first round matchup , but took the series 3-2 by winning Game 5 124-117 in Boston Garden . According to https : //www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/1990-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-knicks-vs-celtics.html , the Knicks won this fifth game by the score of 121-114 . The Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a playoff series for the first time ever . It also marked the first time since 1981 that the Lakers failed to reach the Western Conference Finals , ending the longest such run since the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics , who made the Eastern Conference Finals thirteen consecutive times between 1957 and 1969 . It was the first NBA Finals to not feature the Lakers or Celtics since 1979 . The Chicago Bulls lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals 93-74 in Detroit , making it the third straight year they were ousted in the playoffs by the Pistons . The Indiana Pacers made only their third playoff appearance since their NBA debut in the 1976-77 season ; they proceeded to make the playoffs 16 out of the next 17 years ( missing only in 1997 ) . The Dallas Mavericks made their only playoff appearance of the decade .
The 1989-90 NBA season was the 20th season for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association . During the offseason , the Blazers acquired All-Star forward Buck Williams from the New Jersey Nets . The Blazers finished with a franchise-high 59-23 record and returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since their championship season of 1976-77 . However , they were unsuccessful in capturing their second NBA title , as they fell to the Detroit Pistons four games to one . Clyde Drexler , who was selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game , continued to be the leading scorer for the Trail Blazers with 23.3 points per game , as the Blazers rebounded off their disappointing season to post a solid 59-23 record - good enough for second place in the Pacific Division . In the playoffs , the acquisition of Williams continued to help make the Blazers stronger as they won their first playoff series in five years by sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in three straight games . In the second round , the Blazers needed seven games to get past the San Antonio Spurs as the home team won all seven games . In the Western Conference Finals , the Trail Blazers continued to defend their home court well , jumping out to a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns . The Suns rebounded to take the next two in Phoenix as the Blazers won Game 5 at home 120-114 . However , there would be no need for a seventh game , as the Blazers knocked off the Suns with a 112-109 win in Game 6 to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history . In the Finals , the Trail Blazers got off to a solid start , splitting the first two games on the road against the defending NBA Champion Detroit Pistons . However , the Blazers dropped all three games at home as the Pistons won the NBA title in five games .
Richard Leonard Adelman ( born June 16 , 1946 ) is an American retired professional basketball player and coach . He coached 23 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He served as head coach of the NBA 's Golden State Warriors , Portland Trail Blazers , Sacramento Kings , Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves .
The 1989-90 NBA season was the 21st season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association . Cotton Fitzsimmons was head coach for a club that returned to the Western Conference Finals . All home games were played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum . The Suns finished third in the Pacific Division with a 54-28 record . In the first round of the playoffs , the Suns defeated the 4th-seeded Utah Jazz in five games . In the semifinals , they upset the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in five games , but lost to the Portland Trail Blazers four games to two in the Western Conference Finals . The season was highlighted by Tom Chambers setting a franchise record for points scored in one game , when on February 18 , he scored 56 points on the road against Golden State Warriors . Just over a month later , he would break his own record when he scored 60 against Seattle SuperSonics on March 24 . Chamber 's record would be broken by Devin Booker on March 24th 2017 by scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics . Last season 's Most Improved Player Kevin Johnson was selected to the 1990 NBA All-Star Game along with Chambers . It was his first All-Star selection .