Who Won The 1988 Nba Finals?

The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 1987–88 season, and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in a best-of-seven series. This was the Pistons’ second consecutive NBA Finals loss. The Lakers earned their ninth NBA championship, and fifth in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1988 NBA Finals, defeating the Detroit Pistons in seven games. The Lakers were led by Finals MVP James Worthy, who averaged 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while also shooting 61.5 percent from the field. Other key contributors for the Lakers included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green.

The Road to the Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 1987-88 NBA season as defending champions. They had won the title in 1986-87, and were looking to repeat in 1988. The Lakers had a talented roster, led by All-Stars Magic Johnson and James Worthy. They also had a strong supporting cast, including shooting guard Byron Scott and center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Lakers were one of the best teams in the Western Conference, and they finished the regular season with a 57-25 record. They then went on to win the Western Conference Finals, defeating the Utah Jazz in seven games. This set up a matchup with the Eastern Conference Champions, the Detroit Pistons, in the 1988 NBA Finals.

The Pistons were a very good team, but they were no match for the defending champion Lakers. The Lakers won the series in four games, giving them their second straight NBA championship. Johnson was named Finals MVP for his performance throughout the series.

The Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals. The Pistons had won the previous year’s championship, and were favored to repeat. However, the Lakers, led by Finals MVP James Worthy, won the series in seven games. The victory marked the Lakers’ ninth NBA title, and their first since 1982.

The Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons won the 1988 NBA Finals, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. The Pistons were led by head coach Chuck Daly and the “Bad Boys” team that featured Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Vinnie Johnson. The Pistons were the first team in NBA history to win a championship after being trailing in the Finals.

The Road to the Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals in 1988, beating the Detroit Pistons in a four-game sweep. The road to the Finals was an emotional one for the Lakers, who had lost to the Pistons in the previous year’s Finals. The team was determined to avoid a repeat of that loss, and they did so in impressive fashion.

The Lakers finished the regular season with a record of 54-28, good enough for second place in the Western Conference behind the Dallas Mavericks. They then went on to defeat the Mavericks in five games in the first round of the playoffs. In the second round, they faced off against another familiar foe: the Utah Jazz. The series went back and forth, but ultimately it was the Lakers who prevailed in seven games.

Their victory over the Jazz set up a rematch with the Pistons in the Conference Finals. The Lakers were ready for this series, winning it in six games to earn their spot in the NBA Finals.

Once again, their opponent was t

The Finals

The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 1987–88 season, and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, four games to three.

The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win a championship after posting a sub-.500 record in the regular season. The Lakers were coming off their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons, having lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in 1986.

The matchup was also a rematch of sorts from The Forum, as it was here that Isiah Thomas and his “Bad Boys” Pistons had upsettingly swept Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson’s seemingly invincible Lakers en route to an improbable NBA title two years previously.

The series did not live up to that billing, as neither team particularly dominated throughout. After winning Game 1 handily at home, 105-93, the Pistons were stunned 102-93 in Game 2 at The Forum by a Laker team playing with much more energy and purpose than it had displayed earlier in the series.

Home court advantage would shift back to Detroit for Games 3 and 4; however, neither team would be able to gain any real edge in what became a highly physical—and sometimes dirty—series. Five of the six games were essentially decided by double digits, with L.A.’s 118-110 victory in Game 5 being the lone exception; that contest had been tied at 107 with only 2:37 left before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made two free throws to put his team ahead for good. The Pistons responded by blowing out the Lakers 103-86 back home in Game 6 behind 26 points apiece from Bill Laimbeer andIsiah Thomas.

After Kobe Bryant airballed a potential game-tying three pointer with 8 seconds left in regulation, Piston guard Joe Dumars was left wide open on Detroit’s ensuing possession and hit a pull up jumper from just outside the lane with 2 seconds remaining to give his team an 89–87 lead, which held up as the final score when Byron Scott’s halfcourt heave caromed harmlessly off the backboard as time expired.

The Matchup

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship in 1988. They defeated the Detroit Pistons in what was considered one of the best NBA Finals of all time. The Pistons were the defending champions, and had won the title in the previous two seasons.

Game 1

The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Detroit Pistons in game one of the 1988 NBA Finals. The Pistons came out strong, winning the first quarter 25-21. However, the Lakers fought back in the second quarter, outscoring the Pistons 28-18 to take a 49-43 lead into halftime. The Pistons regrouped at halftime and came out firing in the third quarter, winning it 31-22 to take a 74-71 lead into the fourth. The fourth quarter was a tightly contested affair, with neither team able to gain a significant advantage. With just seconds remaining, Lakers guard Byron Scott hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one point lead, 106-105. The Pistons had one final chance to win the game, but Isiah Thomas’s shot at the buzzer was off the mark, giving the Lakers a game one victory.

Game 2

The Los Angeles Lakers won Game 2 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, 108-96. The Lakers went on to win the series in seven games.

Game 3

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons were in a fierce battle for the NBA championship. The teams had split the first two games of the best-of-seven series, with each winning on their home court. Game 3 was to be played in Los Angeles.

The Pistons took an early lead in the game, but the Lakers fought back and took a slim lead at halftime. The Pistons came out strong in the third quarter and took a commanding lead. The Lakers never recovered, and ended up losing the game by 15 points.

With the win, the Pistons took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4

The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1988 NBA Finals, four games to three, over the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers win their fourth championship in team history, and first since 1972. Finals MVP James Worthy becomes the first player in NBA history to have a triple-double in an NBA Finals game with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

Game 5

The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1988 NBA Finals, defeating the Detroit Pistons four games to three. The Pistons had been one of the league’s dominant teams, winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. The Lakers were led by Finals MVP James Worthy, who averaged 21.0 points per game for the series.

Aftermath

The 1988 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 1987-88 season, and the conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference and defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 3, winning the best of seven series 4–2. James Worthy was named NBA Finals MVP.

The victory gave the Lakers their ninth NBA championship, tying the Celtics for second place on the all-time NBA Finals wins list behind only their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, who had won ten championships at that point. This was also the first time in 21 years that a team other than the Celtics or Lakers represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.