2006 NBA Playoffs
Encyclopedia
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association
's 2005–06 season
. The Miami Heat
won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks
4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals
. The Heat's Dwyane Wade
was named Finals MVP.
The Los Angeles Clippers
were one of the playoffs' biggest surprises in 2006, as they not only made the playoffs for the first time since 1997
but they advanced to the second round for the first time since 1976
, when they were the Buffalo Braves. They came within one game of making it to the conference finals for the first time ever, but lost Game 7 to the Phoenix Suns
.
2006 marked the playoff debut of Cleveland Cavaliers
superstar LeBron James
, who helped the Cavs eke out one-point overtime victories over the Washington Wizards
in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance to the second round. It was the Cavaliers' first playoff appearance since 1998
, and they earned their first playoff series win since 1993
. Against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons
, the Cavaliers were routed in Game 1 of the semifinal series and lost by six in Game 2 before coming back to win the following three games and come within one game of handing the Pistons a playoff defeat. The Pistons recovered and won the last two games of the series for a seven-game series win.
involve nearly two months of play and between 60 and 105 games under the current format. The playoffs were conducted in four rounds of best of seven series. In each series, the team with the better record (or which wins a tiebreaker, in the event that teams with identical records are matched) held home court advantage, meaning that the seventh game, if played, is held in their home arena.
The first two games in each series were played in the home arena of the team with home court advantage. The third and fourth games were played in the other arena. The fifth, sixth, and seventh games alternated between the two arenas. However, in the NBA Finals, the team with home court advantage hosted the first two and last two games, while the other team hosted the middle three games.
With the addition of the 30th NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats
, in 2004
, the NBA realigned its divisions. Each conference had three divisions of five teams each, and at this point in time, the winner of each division was guaranteed a top three playoff seed, regardless of whether the team had one of the top eight records in its conference. However, the division champion was not guaranteed home court advantage; a division-leading team could be ranked third or even second but face a lower seed (that did not win its division) with a better record, which would then have the home court advantage. This was illustrated in the first round this year when the 44-win Denver Nuggets
won the Northwest Division
and had the third seed, yet did not have home court advantage against the sixth-seeded 47-win Los Angeles Clippers
. The Clippers had in fact, played the Memphis Grizzlies
a week before the playoffs for the fifth and sixth seed. However, the loser of the game would have faced Denver, while the winner would face fourth seeded Dallas, who had the second best record in the league that year. It was speculated that the Clippers lost on purpose to play Denver in the first round. However, starting in the 2007 playoffs, being a division-leading team did not guarantee a top three playoff seed.
clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat
in the Eastern Conference Finals, home court advantage in the NBA Finals
switched to the Western Conference
champion Dallas Mavericks
, who had a better record than the Heat.
clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks
in the Conference Semifinals, Dallas had home court advantage in the Western Conference Finals.
, TNT, ESPN
, ESPN2
and NBA TV
in the United States and on TSN
, Rogers Sportsnet
, The Score
, and Raptors NBA TV
in Canada; some games were also televised on local or regional TV networks. The Eastern Conference finals aired exclusively on ESPN
and ABC
, and the Western Conference finals aired exclusively on TNT; TSN
and The Score
split coverage of the Conference Finals. The NBA Finals aired exclusively on ABC
in the U.S. and on TSN
in Canada. http://www.nba.com/news/schedule_050808.html
Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2004 Eastern Conference First Round
(Detroit won 4–1)
Miami won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 1997 Eastern Conference Finals
(Chicago won 4–1)
Indiana won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2002 Eastern Conference First Round
(New Jersey won 3–2)
Regular-season series
Washington won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 1977 Eastern Conference First Round
(Washington won 3–1)
. They came off a playoff series win vs the Wizards, while the Pistons came in off a 4-1 win vs the 8th seeded Bucks. Detroit was expected to win the series, and took a commanding two games to none lead with two wins at the Palace of Auburn Hills. James and the Cavaliers would not be intimidated however, and won their two games at home to tie the series 2–2. Coming into game 5, both teams were confident, but the Pistons were expected to pull out the win easily. The game was low scoring throughout as usual in this series, with Cleveland holding a 68 to 66 lead throughout 3 quarters. With the game tied at 84 with 26 seconds left in regulation, Drew Gooden
came through and hit a layup to give Cleveland the lead that they would never squander. James led the Cavs with 32 and this brought the series to Cleveland up 3–2, quite shockingly. In the final minute of game 6, Richard Hamilton grabbed two offensive rebounds and passed the ball to Rasheed Wallace who was fouled. Detroit held on to a 2 point win to win game 6, and won game 7 at home to seal the deal.
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time both teams encountered in the playoffs.
(Miami won 4–0)
(Detroit won 4–3)
Regular-season series
San Antonio won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time both teams encountered in the playoffs.
Regular-season series
Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2000 Western Conference Semifinals
(Los Angeles won 4–1)
Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: this was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
Regular-season series
Dallas won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: this was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
in the conference semifinals but managed to pull out a Game 7 overtime win in San Antonio to close out the series. This was just the second time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 in overtime; the Los Angeles Lakers
defeated the Sacramento Kings
in the same manner in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2003 Western Conference Finals
(San Antonio won 4–2)
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
(Phoenix won 4–2)
This NBA Finals featured two teams that never made the finals in the past. The last time this happened was in 1971 when the Milwaukee Bucks
met the Baltimore Bullets
. This has happened 5 times in the history of the NBA, the very first of them between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags. This also happened between the Minneapolis Lakers & the Washington Capitols in 1949 and between the New York Knickerbockers & the Rochester Royals in 1951.
With the help of Dwyane Wade, the Heat earned their first NBA Finals appearance.
" by Daniel Powter
was played in arenas when the road team was eliminated (à la "American Idol
"). This idea spread over to other sports competitions that year such as the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
, and sometimes even during the 2006 MLB season
.
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's 2005–06 season
2005-06 NBA season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
. The Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals
2006 NBA Finals
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
. The Heat's Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
was named Finals MVP.
The Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
were one of the playoffs' biggest surprises in 2006, as they not only made the playoffs for the first time since 1997
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
but they advanced to the second round for the first time since 1976
1976 NBA Playoffs
The 1976 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1975-1976 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns, four games to two in the NBA Finals; the series was...
, when they were the Buffalo Braves. They came within one game of making it to the conference finals for the first time ever, but lost Game 7 to the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
.
2006 marked the playoff debut of Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
superstar LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, who helped the Cavs eke out one-point overtime victories over the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in Games 5 and 6 of their first-round series to advance to the second round. It was the Cavaliers' first playoff appearance since 1998
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
, and they earned their first playoff series win since 1993
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
. Against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, the Cavaliers were routed in Game 1 of the semifinal series and lost by six in Game 2 before coming back to win the following three games and come within one game of handing the Pistons a playoff defeat. The Pistons recovered and won the last two games of the series for a seven-game series win.
Format
Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffsNBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
involve nearly two months of play and between 60 and 105 games under the current format. The playoffs were conducted in four rounds of best of seven series. In each series, the team with the better record (or which wins a tiebreaker, in the event that teams with identical records are matched) held home court advantage, meaning that the seventh game, if played, is held in their home arena.
The first two games in each series were played in the home arena of the team with home court advantage. The third and fourth games were played in the other arena. The fifth, sixth, and seventh games alternated between the two arenas. However, in the NBA Finals, the team with home court advantage hosted the first two and last two games, while the other team hosted the middle three games.
With the addition of the 30th NBA franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
, in 2004
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
, the NBA realigned its divisions. Each conference had three divisions of five teams each, and at this point in time, the winner of each division was guaranteed a top three playoff seed, regardless of whether the team had one of the top eight records in its conference. However, the division champion was not guaranteed home court advantage; a division-leading team could be ranked third or even second but face a lower seed (that did not win its division) with a better record, which would then have the home court advantage. This was illustrated in the first round this year when the 44-win Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
won the Northwest Division
Northwest Division (NBA)
The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah JazzThe division was...
and had the third seed, yet did not have home court advantage against the sixth-seeded 47-win Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. The Clippers had in fact, played the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
a week before the playoffs for the fifth and sixth seed. However, the loser of the game would have faced Denver, while the winner would face fourth seeded Dallas, who had the second best record in the league that year. It was speculated that the Clippers lost on purpose to play Denver in the first round. However, starting in the 2007 playoffs, being a division-leading team did not guarantee a top three playoff seed.
Bracket
Teams that advanced to the next round are boldfaced; those with home court advantage are in italics.Best record in NBA
The Detroit PistonsDetroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when the Pistons lost to the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in the Eastern Conference Finals, home court advantage in the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
switched to the Western Conference
Western Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
champion Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
, who had a better record than the Heat.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:- Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
(64-18) (clinched Central division) - Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
(52-30) (clinched Southeast division) - New Jersey NetsNew Jersey NetsThe New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(49-33) (clinched Atlantic division) - Cleveland CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
(50-32) - Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(42-40) - Indiana PacersIndiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
(41-41) - Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
(41-41) - Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
(40-42)
Best record in conference
The San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the Conference Semifinals, Dallas had home court advantage in the Western Conference Finals.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:- San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
(63-19) (clinched Southwest division) - Phoenix SunsPhoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
(54-28) (clinched Pacific division) - Denver NuggetsDenver NuggetsThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
(44-38) (clinched Northwest division) - Dallas MavericksDallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
(60-22) - Memphis GrizzliesMemphis GrizzliesThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
(49-33) - Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
(47-35) - Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(45-37) - Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
(44-38)
TV coverage
First and second round games were televised on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, TNT, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
and NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
in the United States and on TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
, The Score
The Score (television network)
The Score Television Network is a Canadian English-language cable television specialty channel providing primarily sports news, highlights, information and analysis programming along with live event sports coverage...
, and Raptors NBA TV
Raptors NBA TV
NBA TV Canada is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. .-History:In December 2000, MLSE was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for a category 2 digital specialty channel license...
in Canada; some games were also televised on local or regional TV networks. The Eastern Conference finals aired exclusively on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and the Western Conference finals aired exclusively on TNT; TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
and The Score
The Score (television network)
The Score Television Network is a Canadian English-language cable television specialty channel providing primarily sports news, highlights, information and analysis programming along with live event sports coverage...
split coverage of the Conference Finals. The NBA Finals aired exclusively on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the U.S. and on TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
in Canada. http://www.nba.com/news/schedule_050808.html
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks
Regular season series:Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2004 Eastern Conference First Round
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
(Detroit won 4–1)
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
Regular-season seriesMiami won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 1997 Eastern Conference Finals
1997 NBA Playoffs
The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...
(Chicago won 4–1)
(3) New Jersey Nets vs. (6) Indiana Pacers
Regular-season seriesIndiana won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2002 Eastern Conference First Round
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
(New Jersey won 3–2)
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Washington Wizards
- LeBron JamesLeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
hits two game-winning shots (Game 3, Game 5) - Damon JonesDamon JonesDamon Darron Jones is an American professional basketball player. A 6'3" point guard–shooting guard, he played college basketball for three years with the University of Houston Cougars before declaring early for the 1997 NBA Draft, but he went undrafted.-High school career:Jones played for...
hits the series-winning shot
Regular-season series
Washington won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 1977 Eastern Conference First Round
1977 NBA Playoffs
The 1977 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976-1977 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. It was...
(Washington won 3–1)
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
2006 marked the first time the Cavaliers had made the playoffs since 1998 with Shawn KempShawn Kemp
Shawn T. Kemp is a former American professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association for 14 seasons. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Second Team member.-Early years:...
. They came off a playoff series win vs the Wizards, while the Pistons came in off a 4-1 win vs the 8th seeded Bucks. Detroit was expected to win the series, and took a commanding two games to none lead with two wins at the Palace of Auburn Hills. James and the Cavaliers would not be intimidated however, and won their two games at home to tie the series 2–2. Coming into game 5, both teams were confident, but the Pistons were expected to pull out the win easily. The game was low scoring throughout as usual in this series, with Cleveland holding a 68 to 66 lead throughout 3 quarters. With the game tied at 84 with 26 seconds left in regulation, Drew Gooden
Drew Gooden
Andrew Melvin "Drew" Gooden is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. Gooden is a 6'10", 250 lbs...
came through and hit a layup to give Cleveland the lead that they would never squander. James led the Cavs with 32 and this brought the series to Cleveland up 3–2, quite shockingly. In the final minute of game 6, Richard Hamilton grabbed two offensive rebounds and passed the ball to Rasheed Wallace who was fouled. Detroit held on to a 2 point win to win game 6, and won game 7 at home to seal the deal.
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time both teams encountered in the playoffs.
(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) New Jersey Nets
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2005 Eastern Conference First Round2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
(Miami won 4–0)
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) Miami Heat
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2005 Eastern Conference Finals2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
(Detroit won 4–3)
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Sacramento Kings
- In game 2, Brent BarryBrent BarryBrent Robert Barry is an American former professional basketball player. The , shooting guard was selected out of Oregon State University by the Denver Nuggets with the 15th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly after to the Los Angeles Clippers.Barry played professionally...
hit a wild 3-pointer with 4 seconds left that spun out and in to force overtime - In game 3,Kevin MartinKevin MartinKevin Martin is the name of:* Kevin Martin , NBA shooting guard* Kevin Martin , Canadian curler* Kevin Martin , former chair of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission* Kevin Martin Kevin Martin is the name of:* Kevin Martin (basketball), NBA shooting guard* Kevin Martin (curler) (born 1966),...
hit the game winning lay-up at the buzzer
Regular-season series
San Antonio won 2–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time both teams encountered in the playoffs.
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers
- In game 4, Kobe Bryant hit both a wild lay-up with .7 seconds remaining to force overtime, and the game-winning jump shot at the buzzer in overtime
Regular-season series
Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2000 Western Conference Semifinals
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
(Los Angeles won 4–1)
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Los Angeles Clippers
Regular-season seriesLos Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: this was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies
- In game 3, Dirk NowitzkiDirk NowitzkiDirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Regular-season series
Dallas won 3–1 in the regular-season series:
Previous Playoffs meeting: this was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks almost gave up a 3-1 series lead to the defending champion San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in the conference semifinals but managed to pull out a Game 7 overtime win in San Antonio to close out the series. This was just the second time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 in overtime; the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
defeated the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in the same manner in the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2003 Western Conference Finals
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
(San Antonio won 4–2)
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Los Angeles Clippers
- In game 5, Raja BellRaja BellRaja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
hit the game-tying shot with 1.1 seconds left to force the second overtime
Previous Playoffs meeting: This was the first time these teams encountered in the playoffs.
(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks
Previous Playoffs meeting: 2005 Western Conference Semifinals2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
(Phoenix won 4–2)
NBA finals: (W4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (E2) Miami Heat
- All times are in Eastern Daylight TimeEastern Time ZoneThe Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
(UTC−4)
This NBA Finals featured two teams that never made the finals in the past. The last time this happened was in 1971 when the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
met the Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore Bullets has been the name of three different basketball franchises:* Baltimore Bullets , an American Basketball League franchise and National Basketball Association franchise that folded in 1954....
. This has happened 5 times in the history of the NBA, the very first of them between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags. This also happened between the Minneapolis Lakers & the Washington Capitols in 1949 and between the New York Knickerbockers & the Rochester Royals in 1951.
With the help of Dwyane Wade, the Heat earned their first NBA Finals appearance.
Statistic leaders
| Category | |High | |Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Total | Player | Team | Avg. | Games played | |
| Points Point (basketball) Points in basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game. Points can be accumulated by making field goals or free throws .... |
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association... Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school... |
Dallas Mavericks Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011... Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
50 | Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard.... |
Washington Wizards Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:... |
34.0 | 6 |
| Rebounds Rebound (basketball) A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made... |
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA... Caron Butler Caron Butler James Caron Butler, widely known as Caron Butler , is an American professional basketball player who most recently played at small forward for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.-Early life:... Shawn Marion Shawn Marion Shawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player currently with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Marion attended high school in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before transferring to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Marion... |
Miami Heat Miami Heat The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... Washington Wizards Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:... Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... |
20 | Bonzi Wells Bonzi Wells Gawen DeAngelo "Bonzi" Wells is an American professional basketball player. A 6' 5" shooting guard, he last played for Capitanes de Arecibo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the main Puerto Rican basketball league. He played college basketball at Ball State University and was drafted in the... |
Sacramento Kings Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
12.0 | 6 |
| Assists Assist (basketball) In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist... |
Steve Nash Steve Nash Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara... |
Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... |
16 | Steve Nash Steve Nash Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara... |
Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... |
10.2 | 20 |
Music
The song "Bad DayBad Day (Daniel Powter song)
"Bad Day" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter. It was released as the first single from his second album Daniel Powter and achieved the #1 spot in the U.S. and Ireland. In the U.S...
" by Daniel Powter
Daniel Powter
Daniel Richard Powter is a Canadian recording artist. He is known for his hit "Bad Day", which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Powter became the only act to register the #1 hit of the year but chart no other Hot 100 hit.- Life and career :Powter grew up in Vernon, in the...
was played in arenas when the road team was eliminated (à la "American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
"). This idea spread over to other sports competitions that year such as the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...
, and sometimes even during the 2006 MLB season
2006 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...
.