Midwest Division (NBA)
Division champions
Table:
Season

Team

Record

Playoffs result

1970–71

Milwaukee Bucks^

66–16 (.805)

Won NBA Finals

1971–72

Milwaukee Bucks

63–19 (.768)

Lost Conference Finals

1972–73

Milwaukee Bucks

60–22 (.732)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1973–74

Milwaukee Bucks^

59–23 (.720)

Lost NBA Finals

1974–75

Chicago Bulls

47–35 (.573)

Lost Conference Finals

1975–76

Milwaukee Bucks

38–44 (.463)

Lost First Round

1976–77

Denver Nuggets

50–32 (.610)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1977–78

Denver Nuggets

48–34 (.585)

Lost Conference Finals

1978–79

Kansas City Kings

48–34 (.585)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1979–80

Milwaukee Bucks

49–33 (.598)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1980–81

San Antonio Spurs

52–30 (.634)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1981–82

San Antonio Spurs

48–34 (.585)

Lost Conference Finals

1982–83

San Antonio Spurs

53–29 (.646)

Lost Conference Finals

1983–84

Utah Jazz

45–37 (.549)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1984–85

Denver Nuggets

52–30 (.634)

Lost Conference Finals

1985–86

Houston Rockets

51–31 (.622)

Lost NBA Finals

1986–87

Dallas Mavericks

55–27 (.671)

Lost First Round

1987–88

Denver Nuggets

54–28 (.659)

Lost Conference Semifinals

1988–89

Utah Jazz

51–31 (.622)

Lost First Round

1989–90

San Antonio Spurs

56–26 (.683)

Lost Conference Semifinals

From the provided table as well as the supplementary paragraphs provided at the end.

Answer the following question: Which team had a .659 record during the 42nd season of the NBA ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The 1970-71 NBA season was the 25th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Milwaukee Bucks winning the NBA Championship , beating the Baltimore Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals . Three new teams made their debut : the Cleveland Cavaliers , the Portland Trail Blazers , and the Buffalo Braves .
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee . The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team , and play at the Fiserv Forum . Former U.S . Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team , but on April 16 , 2014 , a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl , a sale which was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16 . The team is managed by Jon Horst , the team 's former director of basketball operations , who took over for John Hammond in May 2017 . The Bucks have won one league title ( 1971 ) , two conference titles ( 1971 and 1974 ) , and 14 division titles ( 1971-1974 , 1976 , 1980-1986 , 2001 , 2019 ) . They have featured such notable players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Sidney Moncrief , Oscar Robertson , Bob Dandridge , Bob Lanier , Glenn Robinson , Ray Allen , Sam Cassell , Junior Bridgeman , Michael Redd , Terry Cummings , Vin Baker , Jon McGlocklin , Marques Johnson , and Brian Winters . Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA 's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Bucks , for a total of four MVP awards .
The 1971 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series played at the conclusion of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 25th anniversary season of 1970-71 . The Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks , who were founded as an expansion team three years earlier , swept the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets in four games . Baltimore had dethroned the 1969-70 NBA champion New York Knicks . The Bucks were the first Western Conference champions to win the league 's championship since the St. Louis Hawks did so in 1958 . This was the first NBA Finals not played in the state of California in 10 years . It would also be the last time that both participants were playing in their first NBA Finals until the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat got together in the 2006 NBA Finals . The Bullets were forced to play Game 1 on a Wednesday night , just 48 hours after having defeated New York in Game 7 of the 1971 Eastern Conference Finals , then had to wait four days before playing Game 2 . The series was the second ( and last ) time in NBA history that the teams alternated home games , the other being in 1956 . Most other series were held in the 2-2-1-1-1 or 2-3-2 format . It was also the last NBA Championship Series completed before May 1 . The series was broadcast by ABC with Chris Schenkel and Jack Twyman providing the commentary . As both the Bucks and Washington Wizards ( the Bullets ' successors ) now play in the Eastern Conference , a rematch of this Finals is not currently possible .
The 1971-72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals . As the 25th anniversary of the founding of the modern NBA , the league unveiled a new logo , inspired by the logo of Major League Baseball , to commemorate the occasion . It features the white silhouette of a basketball player dribbling , framed by red and blue . Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers was used as the model for the logo . Coincidentally , Jerry West would win the only NBA Championship of his career during the season .
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 .
The 1972-73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
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 1973-74 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
The 1974 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1973-74 National Basketball Association ( NBA ) season . The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 to win the NBA championship .
The 1974-75 NBA season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship , sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals .
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago . The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Eastern Conference Central Division . The team was founded on January 16 , 1966 and played its first game later that year . The Bulls play their home games at the United Center , an arena on Chicago 's west side shared with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The Bulls saw their greatest success during the 1990s when they played a major part in popularizing the NBA worldwide . They are known for having one of the NBA 's greatest dynasties , winning six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998 with two three-peats . All six of their championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Michael Jordan , Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson . The Bulls are the only NBA franchise to win multiple championships while never losing an NBA Finals series in their history . The Bulls won 72 games during the 1995-96 NBA season , setting an NBA record that stood until the Golden State Warriors won 73 games during the 2015-16 NBA season . The Bulls were the first team in NBA history to win 70 games or more in a single season , and the only NBA franchise to do so until the 2015-16 Warriors . Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose have both won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award while playing for the Bulls , for a total of six MVP awards . The Bulls share rivalries with the Cleveland Cavaliers , Detroit Pistons , Miami Heat and the New York Knicks .
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 1975-76 NBA season was the 30th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
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 1976-77 NBA season was the 31st season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Portland Trail Blazers winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history , beating the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the NBA Finals . Prior to the season , the NBA merged with its primary rival league , the American Basketball Association ( ABA ) . Four ABA teams joined the NBA , all four of which are still in the league today : the San Antonio Spurs , Indiana Pacers , Denver Nuggets , and New York Nets . The Nets became the New Jersey Nets the following season , and now play as the Brooklyn Nets . With these additions , the NBA expanded from eighteen teams to twenty-two .
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver . The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference Northwest Division . The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association ( ABA ) , but changed its name to Rockets before the first season . It changed its name again to the Nuggets in 1974 . After the name change , the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976 , losing to the New York Nets . The team has had some periods of success , qualifying for the ABA Playoffs for all seasons from 1967 to the 1976 ABA playoffs where it lost in the finals . The team joined the NBA in 1976 after the ABA-NBA merger and qualified for the NBA playoffs in nine consecutive seasons in the 1980s and ten consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2013 . However , it has not made an appearance in a championship round since its last year in the ABA ; as such , they are also the only of the four surviving former ABA teams to have never reached the NBA Finals . The Nuggets play their home games at Pepsi Center , which they share with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League ( NLL ) .
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 1977-78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship , beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals .
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 1978-79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals , a rematch of the previous year 's Finals , but with the opposite result .
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento , California . The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference 's Pacific Division . The Kings are the only team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento . The team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center . Their best seasons to date in the city were in the early 2000s , including the 2001-02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61-21 ( a winning percentage of .744 ) . The Sacramento Kings are the latest and current version of one of the oldest continuously operating professional basketball franchises in the nation . They originated in Rochester , New York , as the Rochester Seagrams ( a semi-professional team ) in 1923 , hosting a number of teams there over the next 20 years . They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals , winning that league 's championship in their first season , 1945-46 . They later jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Association of America , forerunner of the NBA , in 1948 . As the Royals , the team was often successful on the court , winning the NBA championship in 1951 . The team , however , found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit in the comparatively small market of Rochester and relocated to Cincinnati in 1957 , becoming the Cincinnati Royals . In 1972 the team relocated again , this time to Kansas City , Missouri , and was renamed the Kansas City-Omaha Kings because it initially split its home games between Kansas City and Omaha , Nebraska .
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 1979-80 NBA season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals , and is notable for being the year in which the three-point field goal was adopted .
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 1980-81 NBA season was the 35th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . As of 2019 , this was the last time an NBA season ( including postseason ) had ended before Memorial Day .
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio . The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the AT & T Center in San Antonio . The Spurs are one of four former American Basketball Association ( ABA ) teams to remain intact in the NBA after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger and are the only former ABA team to have won an NBA championship . The franchise has won NBA championships in 1999 , 2003 , 2005 , 2007 , and 2014 . As of May 2015 , the Spurs had the highest winning percentage among active NBA franchises . As of May 2017 , the Spurs had the best winning percentage of any franchise in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada over the previous three decades . From 1999-2000 to 2016-17 , the Spurs won 50 games each season , setting a record of 18 consecutive 50-win seasons . In the 2018-19 season , the Spurs matched an NBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances with 22 . The team 's recent success has coincided with the tenure of current head coach Gregg Popovich and with the playing careers of Spurs icons David Robinson ( 1989-2003 ) and Tim Duncan ( 1997-2016 ) .
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 1981-82 NBA season was the 36th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
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 1982-83 NBA season was the 37th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship , sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals .
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 .
The 1983-84 NBA season was the 38th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship , beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 for the second time since 1969 in the NBA Finals .
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City . The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the league 's Western Conference , Northwest Division . Since 1991 , the team has played its home games at Vivint Smart Home Arena . The franchise began play as an expansion team in 1974 as the New Orleans Jazz ( as a tribute to New Orleans ' history of originating Jazz music ) . The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979 . The Jazz were one of the most successful teams in the league in their early years . Although 10 seasons elapsed before the Jazz qualified for their first playoff appearance in 1984 , they did not miss the playoffs again until 2004 . During the late 1980s , John Stockton and Karl Malone arose as the franchise players for the team , and formed one of the most famed point guard-power forward duos in NBA history . Led by coach Jerry Sloan , who took over from Frank Layden in 1988 , they became one of the powerhouse teams of the 1990s , culminating in two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998 , where they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls , led by Michael Jordan . Both Stockton and Malone moved on in 2003 . After missing the playoffs for three consecutive seasons the Jazz returned to prominence under the on-court leadership of point guard Deron Williams . However , partway through the 2010-11 season , the Jazz began restructuring after Sloan 's retirement and Williams ' trade to the New Jersey Nets .
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 1984-85 NBA season was the 39th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship , beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
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 1985-86 NBA season was the 40th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their third championship of the decade , beating the Houston Rockets 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston . They compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member team of the league 's Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center , located in Downtown Houston . The Rockets have won two NBA championships and four Western Conference titles . The team was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets , an expansion team originally based in San Diego . In 1971 , the Rockets moved to Houston . The Rockets won only 15 games in their debut season as a franchise in 1967 . In the 1968 NBA draft , the Rockets were awarded the first overall pick and selected power forward Elvin Hayes , who would lead the team to its first playoff appearance in his rookie season . The Rockets did not finish a season with a winning record for almost a decade until the 1976-77 season , when they traded for All-Star center Moses Malone . Malone went on to win the NBA Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) award twice while playing with the Rockets and led Houston to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year with the team . During the 1980-81 season , the Rockets finished the regular season with a 40-42 record . Despite their losing record , they qualified for the playoffs .
The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1985-86 season , and the culmination of the season 's playoffs . It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets , in a rematch of the 1981 Finals ( only Allen Leavell and Robert Reid remained from the Rockets ' 1981 team ) . It was the second and last NBA Championship Series of the 1980s not to feature the Los Angeles Lakers . The Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their 16th NBA championship . The championship would be the Celtics ' last until 2008 . Larry Bird was named the Finals MVP . On another note , this series marked the first time the NBA Finals branding was officially used , as they dropped the NBA World Championship Series branding which had been in use since the beginning of the league , though it had been unofficially called the NBA Finals for years . Until the 2011 series , this was the last time the NBA Finals had started before June . Since game three , all NBA Finals games have been played in June . Starting with the following year , the NBA Finals would be held exclusively in the month of June . It was also the last NBA Finals series to schedule a game on a Monday until 1999 and also the last NBA Finals game to be played on Memorial Day . Until the 2018 series , it was the last to conclude before June 10 .
The 1986-87 NBA season was the 41st season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their fourth championship of the decade , beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals .
The Dallas Mavericks ( often referred to as the Mavs ) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas . They compete in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division . The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center , which it shares with the National Hockey League 's Dallas Stars . Throughout the 1980s , the Mavericks were a perennial playoff team , led by All-Stars Rolando Blackman and Mark Aguirre . The team struggled during the 1990s , entering into a period of rebuilding . In 1998 , the franchise 's fortunes would change drastically with the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki , who would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history , leading the team to its first NBA championship in 2011 . As of the 2017 season , the Mavericks have sold out 707 consecutive games since December 15 , 2002 , the longest currently running sellout streak in North American major league sports . Since their inaugural 1980-81 season , the Mavericks have won three division titles ( 1987 , 2007 , 2010 ) , two conference championships ( 2006 , 2011 ) , and one NBA championship ( 2011 ) .
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 1987-88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight Championship , beating the Detroit Pistons in seven hard-fought games in the NBA Finals , becoming the NBA 's first repeat champions since the Boston Celtics did it in the 1968-69 NBA season .
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 1988-89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning the NBA Championship , sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers . This was the first season of the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets .
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 1989-90 NBA season was the 44th season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning their second NBA Championship , beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals .
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 .