2009 NBA Playoffs
Encyclopedia
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason
for the National Basketball Association
's 2008–09 season
. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV
broadcasting the games in the United States
. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format.
The Los Angeles Lakers
clinched the top seed in the Western Conference
with 65 wins in the regular season. However, the playoffs seedings below #1 were unable to be determined until the final day of the regular season with four teams still in contention to clinch three of the top four seeds and the home court advantage in the first round. The Cleveland Cavaliers
finished with 66 wins in the regular season to clinch the number one seed in the Eastern Conference
. They also won the Central Division
for the first time in 33 years, and earned the home court advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The Lakers and the number three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic
, advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals
, with the Lakers holding the home court advantage in the Finals. The Lakers beat the Magic 4–1 in the NBA Finals to win their 15th NBA championship.
The Boston Celtics
lost a best-of-seven series after leading 3-2 for the first time after 32 tries, courtesy of the Orlando Magic
in the Eastern Semifinals. Prior to that, their first round series with the Chicago Bulls
set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played.
The Houston Rockets
won a first-round series for the first time since 1997
. They would push the eventual champion Lakers to a Game 7 before losing. The Atlanta Hawks
likewise won a first round series for the first time since 1999
, but they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers
after enduring a tough seven-game series with the Miami Heat
, who made the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. And the Denver Nuggets
won a playoff series for the first time since 1994
, eventually reaching their first conference final since 1985
.
As for the Detroit Pistons
and San Antonio Spurs
, they failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2000
. The Pistons were swept by the Cavaliers, while the Spurs fell to the Dallas Mavericks
in five games.
The Portland Trail Blazers
made the playoffs for the first time since 2003
, but for the fourth straight postseason, they were eliminated in the first round, courtesy of the Houston Rockets
in six games.
, the team with the better record plays Games 1–2 and 6–7 on their home court.
If there are more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams are "re-broken" from the first step until all ties are resolved. Since the three division winners are guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners must be broken before any other ties.
(Cleveland won 4-2)
The Cavaliers opened the series with a rout on Game 1, as LeBron James
scored 38 points and the Cavaliers won by 18 points. In Game 2, the Cavaliers were leading by 27 points after the third quarter before the Pistons started a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Pistons managed to cut the Cavaliers' lead down to 7 points, but in the end the Cavaliers won the game by 12 points. Game 3 was a tight contest until an 18–2 run by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter secured the victory for Cleveland. The Cavaliers swept the Pistons with a 21-point victory in Game 4, in which James scored 36 points while narrowly missing a triple-double for two straight games.
(Boston won 3-0)
In Game 1, with the Bulls trailing by one point, rookie Derrick Rose
scored on two free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining. Celtics captain Paul Pierce
had a chance to win the game with his own free throws from a Joakim Noah
foul but he missed the second after scoring the first, leading to overtime. In the overtime, with Rose fouling out, Tyrus Thomas
scored six of the Bulls' eight points to put them up 105–103 with about 50 seconds left. Ray Allen
, who had a poor shooting night, had a chance to tie the ballgame and send it into a second overtime but he did not succeed. Even while the playoffs were continuing, many experts and analysts were calling it "the greatest playoff series ever".
Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
's playoff debut of 36 points to lead the Bulls into a Game 1 road victory. Rose also became the second player to have a 35-point, 10-assist game in their playoff debut in history, after Chris Paul
did the feat in 2008; his 36 points was also the highest points scored by a Bull in a playoff game since Michael Jordan
retired. The win also marked the Bulls' first postseason win against the Celtics in history.
In Game 2, Ben Gordon poured in 42 points, but lost the duel to Ray Allen. The Bulls were blown out in Game 3. At home in the end of regulation of Game 4, Ben Gordon made a big bank shot putting the Bulls up 95-93. The Bulls would go on to the win in 2OT.
Game 5:
The Bulls held a double digit lead, and Boston came back behind Paul Pierce. Gordon hit an extremely crazy shot over Stephon Marbury. Gordon stopped, pivotted, pump-faked it, shot it, and made it off glass despite the Bulls offense appearing to go nowhere on that play. Pierce tied with his own jumper, the Game 5 foul happened, and Boston won.
Game 6
Rondo had a flagrant 1 foul in the first quarter vs. Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls had to come down from 8 in the final 2 minutes, and did so behind John Salmons. Ray Allen scored 51 points, but the Bulls won in 3OT.
Game 7
The Celtics finished the Bulls off with a 10 point victory.
(Philadelphia won 3-1)
In Game 1, the Magic had an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter and Andre Iguodala
scored a jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Sixers a road win. The Sixers almost managed another comeback in Game 2. The Magic led by 18 points midway through the third quarter before another late run by the Sixers brought the lead down to 5 points before the Magic finally won the game. The Sixers won Game 3 courtesy of another late shot; Thaddeus Young
scored a layup with 2 seconds left to secure the win, despite a career playoff-high 36-point performance by Dwight Howard
. The Magic secured a road win in Game 4 with their own late shot; Hedo Türkoğlu scored the game-winning three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to even the series.
In Game 5, Dwight Howard had 24 points and a career playoff-high 24 rebounds, leading the Magic to a victory. Game 5 was marked with an elbowing incident by Howard on Samuel Dalembert
, which led to a one-game suspension for Howard. Rookie Courtney Lee
also went down injured after taking an inadvertent elbow on the head from Howard. Despite losing two starters, Howard and Lee, the Magic won game 6, beating the Sixers on the road by 25 points to win the series.
(Atlanta won 3-2)
The Hawks opened the series with a 26-point win after leading by as much as 20 points at halftime. The Hawks also tied a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game. However, the Heat managed to rebound from the loss and won Game 2 on the road to tie the series. The Heat won Game 3 at home, almost in similar fashion as the Hawks' victory in Game 1. The Heat was already leading by 19 points at halftime and ended up winning by 29 points. In the next game, the Hawks bounced back and won a road game to even the series.
Game 5 was marked by several hard fouls and technical fouls. Dwyane Wade
was fouled and sent tumbling down by Solomon Jones
before a skirmish between Wade, Jones, Jamaal Magloire
and Josh Smith
started. All four players were given technical foul
s in the incident. Wade was later called for a flagrant foul
after he fouled Maurice Evans
during a layup attempt. The flagrant foul was later rescinded by the officials after they reviewed the play. The Hawks finally won the game, despite losing starting center Al Horford
due to injury in the second quarter. The Heat evened the series at 3–3 after winning Game 6. Wade scored 41 points to lead the Heat to a 26-point rout over the Hawks. The Hawks finally won the series after winning Game 7 at home, with 13 points difference. All seven games of the series were decided by at least 10 points, with an average margin of 19 points.
(Orlando won 3-1)
(Los Angeles won 4-2)
The Nuggets routed the Hornets in Game 1, led by hometown player Chauncey Billups
's 36 points in his playoff debut for the Nuggets. He sank a career playoff-high 8 three-pointers and added 8 assists in the game. He continued his form in Game 2, scoring 31 points as the Nuggets took a 2–0 lead in the series. The Hornets bounced back with a victory in Game 3. Game 3 was marked with plenty of fouls, with a total of 58 personal fouls in the game, resulting in four players fouled out of the game, David West
and Tyson Chandler
for the Hornets, and Kenyon Martin
and Nenê
for the Nuggets. The referees also called three flagrant foul
s from James Posey
, Chandler and Billups. Hornets' head coach Byron Scott
was also called for a technical foul
after arguing on Posey's flagrant foul.
The Nuggets then pulled a 58-point win in Game 4. The margin tied the most lopsided victory in playoff history set 53 years ago
by the Minneapolis Lakers
. The Hornets recorded a playoff-low in points and also a playoff-high 26 turnovers, which led to 41 Nuggets' points. The Nuggets then recorded their first series win since 1994 after a victory in Game 5. Carmelo Anthony
scored his career playoff-high with 34 points as the Nuggets cruised to another double-digit win. The average margin of victory in the Nuggets's four wins was 37.5 points.
(Dallas won 4-3)
(Houston won 3-1)
(Los Angeles won 4-1)
(Dallas won 4-2)
(Los Angeles won 4-0)
NBA 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...
for the National Basketball Association
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 2008–09 season
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, 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...
broadcasting the games in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format.
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...
clinched the top seed in 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....
with 65 wins in the regular season. However, the playoffs seedings below #1 were unable to be determined until the final day of the regular season with four teams still in contention to clinch three of the top four seeds and the home court advantage in the first round. The 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...
finished with 66 wins in the regular season to clinch the number one seed in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
. They also won the Central Division
Central Division (NBA)
The Central Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks...
for the first time in 33 years, and earned the home court advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The Lakers and the number three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
, advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals
2009 NBA Finals
The 2009 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2008-09 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending Western Conference champions, and the Orlando Magic, champions of the...
, with the Lakers holding the home court advantage in the Finals. The Lakers beat the Magic 4–1 in the NBA Finals to win their 15th NBA championship.
The Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
lost a best-of-seven series after leading 3-2 for the first time after 32 tries, courtesy of the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the Eastern Semifinals. Prior to that, their first round series with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The 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...
set an NBA Playoff record for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played.
The Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
won a first-round series 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...
. They would push the eventual champion Lakers to a Game 7 before losing. The Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
likewise won a first round series for the first time since 1999
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
, but they were swept by the 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...
after enduring a tough seven-game series with 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...
, who made the playoffs for the fifth time in six years. And the 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 a playoff series for the first time since 1994
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
, eventually reaching their first conference final since 1985
1985 NBA Playoffs
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, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
.
As for the 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...
and San Antonio Spurs
San 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 ....
, they failed to advance past the first round for the first time since 2000
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...
. The Pistons were swept by the Cavaliers, while the Spurs fell 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 five games.
The Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
made the playoffs for the first time since 2003
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....
, but for the fourth straight postseason, they were eliminated in the first round, courtesy of the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in six games.
Format
The 3 division winners and 5 other teams with the most wins from each conference qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record; however, a division winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of their record. All series are in a best-of-seven format with the Games 1–2, 5 and 7 on the home court of the team with the better record, regardless of their seed. However, for the NBA FinalsNBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, the team with the better record plays Games 1–2 and 6–7 on their home court.
Tiebreak procedures
The tiebreakers that determine seedings are:- Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
- Head-to-head record
- Division record (if the teams are in the same division)
- Conference record
- Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
- Record vs. playoff teams, other conference
- Point differentialGoal differenceIn sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
, all games
If there are more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams are "re-broken" from the first step until all ties are resolved. Since the three division winners are guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners must be broken before any other ties.
Eastern Conference
| Seed | |Team | |Wins | |Tiebreaker | |Clinched | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Home court in Conference Finals | Home court in NBA Finals |
||||
| 1 | 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... |
66 | — | March 4 | March 13 | April 10 | April 13 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
62 | — | March 4 | March 18 | — | — |
| 3 | Orlando Magic Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy... |
59 | — | March 11 | March 25 | — | — |
| 4 | Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... |
47 | — | March 25 | — | — | — |
| 5 | 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... |
43 | — | April 3 | — | — | — |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... |
41 | Conf.: 25–27 | April 4 | — | — | — |
| 7 | Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The 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 | Conf.: 24–28 | April 10 | — | — | — |
| 8 | 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... |
39 | — | April 10 | — | — | — |
Western Conference
| Seed | |Team | |Wins | |Tiebreaker | |Clinched | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Home court in Conference Finals |
|||||
| 1 | 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... |
65 | — | March 12 | March 12 | March 27 | |
| 2 | 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... |
54 | Div.: 12–4 | 2–1 vs. SA | March 31 | April 13 | — |
| 3 | San Antonio Spurs San 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 .... |
54 | Skipped | 1–2 vs. DEN | March 31 | April 15 | — |
| 4 | Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the... |
54 | Div.: 11–5 | — | April 5 | — | — |
| 5 | Houston Rockets Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being... |
53 | — | April 5 | — | — | |
| 6 | 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... |
50 | — | April 8 | — | — | |
| 7 | New Orleans Hornets | 49 | — | April 7 | — | — | |
| 8 | Utah Jazz Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
48 | — | April 5 | — | — | |
Bracket
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams with home court advantage are shown in italics.(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons
Last Playoff Meeting: 2007 Eastern Conference Finals2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
(Cleveland won 4-2)
The Cavaliers opened the series with a rout on Game 1, as 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...
scored 38 points and the Cavaliers won by 18 points. In Game 2, the Cavaliers were leading by 27 points after the third quarter before the Pistons started a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Pistons managed to cut the Cavaliers' lead down to 7 points, but in the end the Cavaliers won the game by 12 points. Game 3 was a tight contest until an 18–2 run by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter secured the victory for Cleveland. The Cavaliers swept the Pistons with a 21-point victory in Game 4, in which James scored 36 points while narrowly missing a triple-double for two straight games.
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Chicago Bulls
Last Playoff Meeting: 1987 Eastern Conference First Round1987 NBA Playoffs
The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
(Boston won 3-0)
In Game 1, with the Bulls trailing by one point, rookie Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
scored on two free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining. Celtics captain Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
had a chance to win the game with his own free throws from a Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noah is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship...
foul but he missed the second after scoring the first, leading to overtime. In the overtime, with Rose fouling out, Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Thomas
Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American professional basketball player who played one season of college basketball at Louisiana State University and is a member of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.-High school career:...
scored six of the Bulls' eight points to put them up 105–103 with about 50 seconds left. Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
, who had a poor shooting night, had a chance to tie the ballgame and send it into a second overtime but he did not succeed. Even while the playoffs were continuing, many experts and analysts were calling it "the greatest playoff series ever".
Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
's playoff debut of 36 points to lead the Bulls into a Game 1 road victory. Rose also became the second player to have a 35-point, 10-assist game in their playoff debut in history, after Chris Paul
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
did the feat in 2008; his 36 points was also the highest points scored by a Bull in a playoff game since Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
retired. The win also marked the Bulls' first postseason win against the Celtics in history.
In Game 2, Ben Gordon poured in 42 points, but lost the duel to Ray Allen. The Bulls were blown out in Game 3. At home in the end of regulation of Game 4, Ben Gordon made a big bank shot putting the Bulls up 95-93. The Bulls would go on to the win in 2OT.
Game 5:
The Bulls held a double digit lead, and Boston came back behind Paul Pierce. Gordon hit an extremely crazy shot over Stephon Marbury. Gordon stopped, pivotted, pump-faked it, shot it, and made it off glass despite the Bulls offense appearing to go nowhere on that play. Pierce tied with his own jumper, the Game 5 foul happened, and Boston won.
Game 6
Rondo had a flagrant 1 foul in the first quarter vs. Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls had to come down from 8 in the final 2 minutes, and did so behind John Salmons. Ray Allen scored 51 points, but the Bulls won in 3OT.
Game 7
The Celtics finished the Bulls off with a 10 point victory.
(3) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Eastern Conference First Round1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
(Philadelphia won 3-1)
In Game 1, the Magic had an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter and Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
scored a jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining to give the Sixers a road win. The Sixers almost managed another comeback in Game 2. The Magic led by 18 points midway through the third quarter before another late run by the Sixers brought the lead down to 5 points before the Magic finally won the game. The Sixers won Game 3 courtesy of another late shot; Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Charles Young is an American professional basketball player. Young is a small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. Prior to his professional career, he attended Georgia Tech, where he studied management. He is tall and weighs...
scored a layup with 2 seconds left to secure the win, despite a career playoff-high 36-point performance by Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
. The Magic secured a road win in Game 4 with their own late shot; Hedo Türkoğlu scored the game-winning three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to even the series.
In Game 5, Dwight Howard had 24 points and a career playoff-high 24 rebounds, leading the Magic to a victory. Game 5 was marked with an elbowing incident by Howard on Samuel Dalembert
Samuel Dalembert
Samuel Davis Dalembert is a Haitian Canadian professional basketball player who most recently played center for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Dalembert began playing in Montreal, Quebec and played college basketball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, United States...
, which led to a one-game suspension for Howard. Rookie Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee is an American basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd pick overall in the 2008 NBA Draft...
also went down injured after taking an inadvertent elbow on the head from Howard. Despite losing two starters, Howard and Lee, the Magic won game 6, beating the Sixers on the road by 25 points to win the series.
(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Miami Heat
Last Playoff Meeting: 1994 Eastern Conference First Round1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
(Atlanta won 3-2)
The Hawks opened the series with a 26-point win after leading by as much as 20 points at halftime. The Hawks also tied a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game. However, the Heat managed to rebound from the loss and won Game 2 on the road to tie the series. The Heat won Game 3 at home, almost in similar fashion as the Hawks' victory in Game 1. The Heat was already leading by 19 points at halftime and ended up winning by 29 points. In the next game, the Hawks bounced back and won a road game to even the series.
Game 5 was marked by several hard fouls and technical fouls. 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 fouled and sent tumbling down by Solomon Jones
Solomon Jones (basketball)
Solomon Jones III is an American professional basketball player. He is 6'10" tall and weighs 230 lb, playing as power forward/center. He played collegiate basketball at Daytona State College , and then at University of South Florida...
before a skirmish between Wade, Jones, Jamaal Magloire
Jamaal Magloire
Jamaal Dane Magloire is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The , center was selected out of the University of Kentucky by the Charlotte Hornets with the 19th overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, after withdrawing...
and Josh Smith
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is an American professional basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Josh is one of five kids born to Paulette and Pete Smith. His siblings are Walter, Phebe, Kasola and Shanti. His popular nickname is "J-Smoove".Smith attended John McEachern High School. For his senior...
started. All four players were given technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
s in the incident. Wade was later called for a flagrant foul
Flagrant foul
A flagrant foul is a serious contact foul involving unnecessary, excessive, or intentional contact in sport. There is a specific National Basketball Association foul termed a flagrant foul.-NBA flagrant fouls:...
after he fouled Maurice Evans
Maurice Evans (basketball)
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. A 6 ft 5 in guard/forward, Evans weighs 220 lb...
during a layup attempt. The flagrant foul was later rescinded by the officials after they reviewed the play. The Hawks finally won the game, despite losing starting center Al Horford
Al Horford
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso is a Dominican professional basketball player who is a center and power forward for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association...
due to injury in the second quarter. The Heat evened the series at 3–3 after winning Game 6. Wade scored 41 points to lead the Heat to a 26-point rout over the Hawks. The Hawks finally won the series after winning Game 7 at home, with 13 points difference. All seven games of the series were decided by at least 10 points, with an average margin of 19 points.
(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks
Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Orlando Magic
Last Playoff Meeting: 1995 Eastern Conference First Round1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
(Orlando won 3-1)
Conference Finals: (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Orlando Magic
Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Utah Jazz
Last Playoff Meeting: 2008 Western Conference Semifinals2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
(Los Angeles won 4-2)
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) New Orleans Hornets
Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)The Nuggets routed the Hornets in Game 1, led by hometown player Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
's 36 points in his playoff debut for the Nuggets. He sank a career playoff-high 8 three-pointers and added 8 assists in the game. He continued his form in Game 2, scoring 31 points as the Nuggets took a 2–0 lead in the series. The Hornets bounced back with a victory in Game 3. Game 3 was marked with plenty of fouls, with a total of 58 personal fouls in the game, resulting in four players fouled out of the game, David West
David West (basketball)
David Moorer West is an American professional basketball player who has most recently played with the NBA's New Orleans Hornets...
and Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler
Tyson Cleotis Chandler is an American professional basketball center who most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He was also a member of the United States men's national basketball team.-High school:...
for the Hornets, and Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Martin
Kenyon Lee Martin is an American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "K-Mart", he plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China. He was selected first overall in the 2000 NBA Draft, and has played in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets...
and Nenê
Nenê
Nenê is a Brazilian professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Denver Nuggets. His name at birth was Maybyner Rodney Hilário, but it was legally changed to Nenê in 2003.-Early life:...
for the Nuggets. The referees also called three flagrant foul
Flagrant foul
A flagrant foul is a serious contact foul involving unnecessary, excessive, or intentional contact in sport. There is a specific National Basketball Association foul termed a flagrant foul.-NBA flagrant fouls:...
s from James Posey
James Posey
James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. is an American professional basketball player, currently a small forward for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.-Early life:...
, Chandler and Billups. Hornets' head coach Byron Scott
Byron Scott (basketball)
Byron Antom Scott is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current head coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. He was formerly the head coach of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets. He attended Arizona State University, but left school in his junior year to...
was also called for a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
after arguing on Posey's flagrant foul.
The Nuggets then pulled a 58-point win in Game 4. The margin tied the most lopsided victory in playoff history set 53 years ago
1956 NBA Playoffs
The 1956 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1955-1956 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons, four games to one in the NBA Finals.It was...
by the Minneapolis 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...
. The Hornets recorded a playoff-low in points and also a playoff-high 26 turnovers, which led to 41 Nuggets' points. The Nuggets then recorded their first series win since 1994 after a victory in Game 5. Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
scored his career playoff-high with 34 points as the Nuggets cruised to another double-digit win. The average margin of victory in the Nuggets's four wins was 37.5 points.
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
Last Playoff Meeting: 2006 Western Conference Semifinals2006 NBA Playoffs
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...
(Dallas won 4-3)
(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Last Playoff Meeting: 1994 Western Conference First Round1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
(Houston won 3-1)
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Last Playoff Meeting: 2004 Western Conference First Round2004 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...
(Los Angeles won 4-1)
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
Last Playoff Meeting: 1988 Western Conference Semifinals1988 NBA Playoffs
The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
(Dallas won 4-2)
Conference Finals: (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets
Last Playoff Meeting: 2008 Western Conference First Round2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
(Los Angeles won 4-0)
NBA Finals: (W1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E3) Orlando Magic
Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)Statistics
| Category | |High | |Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Total | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| 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 .... |
Ray Allen Ray Allen Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of... 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... |
Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... 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... |
51 (3OT) 49 |
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... |
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... |
35.3 | 14 |
| 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... |
Dwight Howard Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy... |
Orlando Magic Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy... |
24 | Dwight Howard Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy... |
Orlando Magic Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy... |
15.3 | 23 |
| 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... |
Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a... Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Rondo attended Eastern High School and Oak Hill Academy for his high-school basketball career, before receiving a... |
Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
19 (3OT) 18 |
Deron Williams Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League... |
Utah Jazz Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
10.8 | 5 |
| Steals Steal (basketball) In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player... |
Glen Davis Glen Davis (basketball) Ronald Glen Davis , commonly known as Glen Davis and by his nickname Big Baby, is an American basketball player who last played for the NBA's Boston Celtics... |
Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
6 | Mario Chalmers Mario Chalmers Almario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA. He was selected 34th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves... |
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... |
2.9 | 7 |
| Blocks Block (basketball) In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot... |
Dwight Howard Dwight Howard Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy... Chris Andersen Chris Andersen Chris Andersen is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association... Tyrus Thomas Tyrus Thomas Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American professional basketball player who played one season of college basketball at Louisiana State University and is a member of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.-High school career:... |
Orlando Magic Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy... 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... Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The 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... |
9 (OT) 6 6 |
Tyrus Thomas Tyrus Thomas Tyrus Wayne Thomas is an American professional basketball player who played one season of college basketball at Louisiana State University and is a member of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.-High school career:... |
Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The 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... |
2.9 | 7 |