1988 NBA Finals Scores: What Really Happened?

We all know the story of the 1988 NBA Finals The Los Angeles Lakers came back from a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Detroit Pistons in seven games. But what if things had gone differently? What if the Pistons had won Game 7?

The Background: Why the 1988 NBA Finals are Controversial

In the 1988 NBA Finals the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Detroit Pistons The Lakers had home-court advantage but the Pistons were the better team. They had won 63 games in the regular season to the Lakers’ 57, and they had already beaten the Lakers in the Finals in 1987.

The Pistons took control of the series in Game 1, winning 108-96. The Lakers bounced back with a 115-86 win in Game 2, but then lost Games 3 and 4 by a combined 48 points. In Game 5, with their backs against the wall, the Lakers pulled off a 105-103 victory. Experiencing a moment of glory, Magic Johnson hit a jump shot with 2 seconds left on the clock to give the Lakers a 103-102 lead. Isiah Thomas then quickly responded with a driving layup to win the game for Detroit.

After losing Game 6 at home, 112-102, it all came down to one final game And that’s when things got really controversial.

Game 1: The Start of the Controversy

On May 27, 1988, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons met in game one of the NBA Finals The Pistons won the game 103-102, but the game is remembered for something else: the no-call on Isiah Thomas

With just seconds remaining in the game and the Pistons leading by one point, Thomas attempted aHop step layup. Lakers’ player Byron Scott jumped up to defend the shot and deployed his left arm, which made contact with Thomas’ head. No foul was called, and the Pistons held on to win.

The no-call was controversial, and many believed that Scott should have been called for a foul. However, replays showed that Scott’s left arm did not make contact with Thomas’ head until after he had released the ball. As a result, the officials made the correct call and no foul was committed.

Game 2: More of the Same

The Los Angeles Lakers won game two of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons by a score of 108-96. This was the second game in a row that the Lakers had won, and they would go on to win the series in four games. The Pistons were led by Isiah Thomas, who scored 27 points in the losing effort. for the Lakers, Magic Johnson had a triple double with 16 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 28 points.

Game 3: The Tide Begins to Turn

In Game 3, the Lakers made a conscious effort to double-team Pistons center Bill Laimbeer in the post, a strategy that had worked for them in the past against other physical centers. The Pistons countered by having Laimbeer set high screens for guards Isiah Thomas and Vinnie Johnson, who then scored on jump shots. The Lakers were further hampered by an injury to starting forward A.C. Green, who sprained his back early in the game and was limited to just six minutes of playing time Johnson led the Pistons with 22 points off the bench, while Adrian Dantley added 21 points and Thomas had 17. By halftime, the Pistons had opened up a 12-point lead, and they maintained a comfortable margin throughout the second half en route to a 108-96 victory. The Piston’s “Bench Mob” outscored their Laker counterparts by a 41-17 margin. With the series now tied at two games apiece, the stage was set for a decisive Game 5 back in Los Angeles

Game 4: The Comeback

The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1987–88 NBA season The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in a best-of-seven series. The Pistons had appeared in three straight Finals, winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990.

Game 5: The Turning Point

It was a close game 5, but the Lakers managed to pull ahead in the end, winning 108-105. This gave them a 3-2 lead in the series. The next two games were also close, but the Pistons managed to win both, giving them the NBA Championship

Game 6: The Finals Come to an End

On June 5, 1988, the Lakers met the Pistons in game 6 of the NBA Finals The game was played at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and was televised on NBC. The Pistons had won games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the series, and they were looking to win their first NBA Championship

The Lakers had other ideas, however. Led by their superstar center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar they took control of the game in the second half and won by a final score of 108-105. Abdul-Jabbar was named the MVP of the Finals, and the Lakers had won their fourth NBA Championship in team history.

The Aftermath: The Fallout from the Finals

The 1988 NBA Finals were one of the most controversial in history. The Los Angeles Lakers won the series 4-3, but many believe that the league fixed the series in order to ensure that the Lakers would win.

There were a number of suspicious calls and no-calls throughout the series, but the most glaring was in Game 5. With just seconds remaining and the Lakers up by two points, Pistons guard Isiah Thomas attempted a desperation shot. Thomas’s shot was blocked by Lakers center Mychal Thompson, but officials called a goaltending violation on Thompson, giving the Pistons two points and extending the game into overtime.

The Pistons went on to win Game 5 in overtime, but they would ultimately lose the series in seven games. The NBA has never acknowledged that the 1988 Finals were fixed, but many fans and experts still believe that they were.

The Legacy: What the 1988 NBA Finals Mean Today

In one of the most controversial endings in Professional Basketball history, the Los Angeles Lakers won the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons

With seconds remaining in Game 7 and the score tied 107-107, Lakers’ forward James Worthy made a layup to give his team a two-point lead. The Pistons immediately called a timeout, and then Isiah Thomas took the ball upcourt. As he crossed Half Court Thomas deliberately stepped out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Lakers with only one second left on the clock. The Pistons’ strategy was clear: rather than risk being forced into a turnover or having to foul one of the Lakers’ players—either of which would have given Los Angeles a chance to extend its lead—they would let the clock run out and take their chances in overtime.

Had Thomas not stepped out of bounds, there is no telling what might have happened. The Pistons could have gone on to win in overtime, or perhaps even in regulation. As it was, though, they lost by a final score of 111-108, and Worthy’s layup has since been remembered as one of the most important baskets in NBA history

Today, more than 30 years later, that game is still remembered as one of the most controversial endings in NBA history It is often cited as an example of poor sportsmanship on Thomas’ part, and as evidence that the Pistons were a dirty team who played “the wrong way.” In reality, though, it was simply a case of a team trying to win by whatever means necessary—something that is commonplace in professional sports

Conclusion: Looking Back at the 1988 NBA Finals

In conclusion, the 1988 NBA Finals were a landmark moment in Basketball History The series featured Great players on both sides, intense competition, and ultimately, a thrilling finish. The results of the games were hotly contested and debated at the time, and continue to be today. However, looking back at the scores and statistics, it is clear that the Lakers were the better team and deserved to win the championship.