| [REDACTED] | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 17–June 15, 2004 |
| Season | 2003–04 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Detroit Pistons (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Semifinalists | |
| ← 20032005 → | |
![[REDACTED]](https://u3vuiephb.global.ssl.fastly.net/File:2004NBAPlayoffsofficiallogo.gif){kind=link}
The 2004 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals. Chauncey Billups was named NBA Finals MVP.
Overview
The 2004 playoffs was the first appearance for the Memphis Grizzlies in their nine-year history which began in Vancouver. However, they failed to win a single game in their first 3 playoff appearances (2004, 2005, 2006), before earning their first playoff game and series victories in 2011.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, entered their eighth consecutive post season.
The Denver Nuggets made the playoffs for the first time since 1995.
The New Orleans Hornets made their final postseason appearance as a member of the East. They would not make the playoffs again until 2008, as a member of the West (the result of a realignment with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004–05 NBA season). Their playoff series with the Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade, was the last playoff series where the home team won all seven games until 2008's Boston–Atlanta and Boston–Cleveland playoff series.
The Houston Rockets made playoffs for the first time since 1999. As a result, 2004 was the first time in 14 years that all Texas teams made the playoffs, and the second time (first in ten years) that all former ABA teams made the playoffs. This was Steve Francis' only career playoff appearance.
This was the first postseason since 1998 without Allen Iverson or Tracy McGrady.
The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks both made the playoffs for the first time since 2001. This marked Dwyane Wade's first postseason appearance and the start of four straight playoff appearances for the Heat. For the Knicks, on the other hand, this was their last appearance until 2011.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz missed the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and 1983, respectively.
Game 4 of the Spurs–Grizzlies series was the last NBA game ever played at Pyramid Arena. That game and Game 3 of the same series were the only playoff games to take place in The Pyramid before the Grizzlies moved to FedExForum in the autumn of 2004.
With their series win over the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves won their first playoff series in franchise history.
With their first round series loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks lost a first round playoff series for the first time since 1990. As of 2024, this remains the Kings’ most recent series victory.
Game 5 of the Lakers–Spurs series was extremely notable for both teams’ last shots. Tim Duncan scored a two–pointer to give the Spurs a 73–72 lead with 0.4 seconds remaining. However, Derek Fisher would hit the game winning shot as time expired to give the Lakers a 74–73 victory in San Antonio.
With their conference semifinals victory over the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since their NBA Finals run in 2000, after which they significantly changed the makeup of their team (yet still made the playoffs every year).
With their conference semifinals victory over the Sacramento Kings, the Minnesota Timberwolves made their first conference finals appearance in franchise history. They didn't return to the conference finals until 2024.
Game 2 of the Pistons–Pacers series was notable for Tayshaun Prince's block of Reggie Miller's late game layup.
Game 6 of the Timberwolves–Lakers series was the last Minnesota Timberwolves postseason game until 2018.
With their Conference Finals win over the Indiana Pacers, the Detroit Pistons made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1990.
In a shocking upset, the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games to win the NBA Championship.
Playoff qualifying
Eastern Conference
Best record in NBA
The Indiana Pacers clinched the best record in the NBA and had earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when Indiana lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, home court advantage for the NBA Finals switched to the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers, who had posted a better regular season record at 56–26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 54–28.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
- Indiana Pacers (61–21) (clinched Central division)
- Detroit Pistons (54–28)
- New Jersey Nets (47–35) (clinched Atlantic division)
- Miami Heat (42–40)
- New Orleans Hornets (41–41, 3–1 head-to-head vs. MIL)
- Milwaukee Bucks (41–41, 1–3 head-to-head vs. NOH)
- New York Knicks (39–43)
- Boston Celtics (36–46)
Western Conference
Best record in conference
The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched the best record in the Western Conference and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. However, when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals because the Lakers posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 54–28.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
- Minnesota Timberwolves (58–24) (clinched Midwest division)
- Los Angeles Lakers (56–26) (clinched Pacific division)
- San Antonio Spurs (57–25)
- Sacramento Kings (55–27)
- Dallas Mavericks (52–30)
- Memphis Grizzlies (50–32)
- Houston Rockets (45–37)
- Denver Nuggets (43–39)
Bracket
| Conference Quarterfinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Indiana* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Indiana* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Miami | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Miami | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | New Orleans | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Indiana* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Milwaukee | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | New Jersey* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | New Jersey* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | New York | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Detroit | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | LA Lakers* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Minnesota* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Denver | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Minnesota* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Sacramento | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Sacramento | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Dallas | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Minnesota* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | San Antonio | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Memphis | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | San Antonio | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | LA Lakers* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Houston | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
- All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Boston Celtics
| ESPN |
| April 17 1:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Boston Celtics 88, Indiana Pacers 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 14–35, 21–23, 24–16 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 20 Rebs: Paul Pierce 10 Asts: three players 4 each |
Pts: O'Neal, Artest 24 each Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 11 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 7 | |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,605 Referees: Scott Foster, David Jones, Bennett Salvatore |
| NBA TV |
| April 20 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Boston Celtics 90, Indiana Pacers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 24–24, 23–24, 21–38 | ||
| Pts: Paul Pierce 27 Rebs: Mark Blount 10 Asts: Chucky Atkins 6 |
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 22 Rebs: Al Harrington 13 Asts: Reggie Miller 7 | |
| Indiana leads series, 2–0 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 17,347 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Michael Smith |
| ESPN |
| April 23 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 108, Boston Celtics 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 30–20, 26–23, 29–22 | ||
| Pts: Harrington, Bender 19 each Rebs: O'Neal, Foster 7 each Asts: Ron Artest 5 |
Pts: Ricky Davis 16 Rebs: Mark Blount 8 Asts: Ricky Davis 7 | |
| Indiana leads series, 3–0 | ||
| FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 17,680 Referees: Steve Javie, Monty McCutchen, Ron Olesiak |
| ESPN |
| April 25 12:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 90, Boston Celtics 75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 25–13, 24–14, 20–23 | ||
| Pts: Ron Artest 22 Rebs: Foster, Harrington 7 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 7 |
Pts: Paul Pierce 27 Rebs: Mark Blount 13 Asts: Walter McCarty 5 | |
| Indiana wins series, 4–0 | ||
| FleetCenter, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 16,389 Referees: Joe Forte, Ron Garretson, Mark Wunderlich |
| Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first three meetings.
| Boston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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(2) New Jersey Nets vs. (7) New York Knicks
| ESPN |
| April 17 4:30 pm |
| Recap |
| New York Knicks 83, New Jersey Nets 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 31–32, 13–24, 15–21 | ||
| Pts: Penny Hardaway 18 Rebs: Stephon Marbury 5 Asts: Shandon Anderson 5 |
Pts: Richard Jefferson 21 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 13 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 18,206 Referees: James Capers, Jim Clark, Eddie F. Rush |
| TNT |
| April 20 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New York Knicks 81, New Jersey Nets 99 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 15–26, 20–20, 22–27 | ||
| Pts: Stephon Marbury 23 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 12 Asts: Penny Hardaway 10 |
Pts: Kenyon Martin 22 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 16 Asts: Jason Kidd 8 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 2–0 | ||
| Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,918 Referees: Sean Corbin, Jack Nies, Greg Willard |
| TNT |
| April 22 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 81, New York Knicks 78 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–15, 15–25, 25–15, 16–23 | ||
| Pts: Martin, Kidd 19 each Rebs: Kenyon Martin 15 Asts: Richard Jefferson 10 |
Pts: three players 18 each Rebs: Kurt Thomas 12 Asts: Stephon Marbury 10 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–0 | ||
| Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Joe Crawford, Scott Foster, Michael Smith |
| NBA TV |
| April 25 6:30 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 100, New York Knicks 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 23–25, 25–22, 31–26 | ||
| Pts: Kenyon Martin 36 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 13 Asts: Jason Kidd 7 |
Pts: Stephon Marbury 31 Rebs: Kurt Thomas 15 Asts: Stephon Marbury 7 | |
| New Jersey wins series, 4–0 | ||
| Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Ken Mauer, Blane Reichelt |
| New Jersey won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.
| New York leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks
| ABC |
| April 18 3:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Milwaukee Bucks 82, Detroit Pistons 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 22–25, 15–28, 24–28 | ||
| Pts: Desmond Mason 16 Rebs: Joe Smith 11 Asts: Damon Jones 7 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 21 Rebs: Ben Wallace 14 Asts: Richard Hamilton 8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Sean Corbin, Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer |
| ESPN |
| April 21 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Milwaukee Bucks 92, Detroit Pistons 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–16, 22–19, 22–28 | ||
| Pts: Michael Redd 26 Rebs: Joe Smith 13 Asts: Damon Jones 7 |
Pts: Chauncey Billups 20 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Chauncey Billups 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Tim Donaghy, Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore |
| ESPN |
| April 24 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 95, Milwaukee Bucks 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 20–19, 32–19, 21–17 | ||
| Pts: Chauncey Billups 21 Rebs: Ben Wallace 21 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 |
Pts: Mason, Redd 19 each Rebs: Desmond Mason 9 Asts: Damon Jones 7 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
| Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 18,717 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Jack Nies, Derrick Stafford |
| TNT |
| April 26 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 109, Milwaukee Bucks 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 24–22, 22–19, 35–24 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 27 Rebs: B. Wallace, R. Wallace 9 each Asts: Chauncey Billups 9 |
Pts: Smith, Jones 17 each Rebs: Joe Smith 12 Asts: Damon Jones 10 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 | ||
| Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 17,316 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Tony Brothers, Jim Clark |
| TNT |
| April 29 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Milwaukee Bucks 77, Detroit Pistons 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 10–15, 22–30, 23–22 | ||
| Pts: Michael Redd 22 Rebs: Keith Van Horn 12 Asts: Damon Jones 6 |
Pts: Tayshaun Prince 24 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Tayshaun Prince 8 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer, Bill Spooner |
| Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first two meetings.
| Detroit leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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(4) Miami Heat vs. (5) New Orleans Hornets
| TNT |
| April 18 12:30 pm |
| Recap |
| New Orleans Hornets 79, Miami Heat 81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 22–18, 15–25, 20–15 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 17 Rebs: Brown, Magloire 11 each Asts: Augmon, Davis 4 each |
Pts: Dwyane Wade 21 Rebs: Lamar Odom 11 Asts: Odom, Wade 5 each | |
| Miami leads series, 1–0 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,102 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Tim Donaghy, Joe Forte |
| TNT |
| April 21 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Orleans Hornets 63, Miami Heat 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 17–15, 10–23, 19–27 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 13 Rebs: Jamaal Magloire 10 Asts: Baron Davis 7 |
Pts: Eddie Jones 19 Rebs: Brian Grant 11 Asts: Dwyane Wade 6 | |
| Miami leads series, 2–0 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,189 Referees: Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Tom Washington |
| ESPN2 |
| April 24 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 71, New Orleans Hornets 77 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–19, 15–22, 21–16, 21–20 | ||
| Pts: Caron Butler 24 Rebs: Caron Butler 15 Asts: Caron Butler 4 |
Pts: Baron Davis 21 Rebs: Brown, Lynch 11 each Asts: Baron Davis 5 | |
| Miami leads series, 2–1 | ||
| New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana Attendance: 14,251 Referees: Tony Brothers, Scott Foster, Bennett Salvatore |
| TNT |
| April 27 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 85, New Orleans Hornets 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 27–28, 27–18, 14–28 | ||
| Pts: Lamar Odom 25 Rebs: Brian Grant 9 Asts: Dwyane Wade 10 |
Pts: Baron Davis 23 Rebs: Brown, West 7 each Asts: Baron Davis 10 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana Attendance: 16,009 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo, Bill Spooner |
| ESPN |
| April 30 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Orleans Hornets 83, Miami Heat 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–14, 22–28, 17–16, 20–29 | ||
| Pts: Baron Davis 33 Rebs: P. J. Brown 13 Asts: Baron Davis 7 |
Pts: Eddie Jones 25 Rebs: Caron Butler 11 Asts: Dwyane Wade 5 | |
| Miami leads series, 3–2 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,147 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies |
| ABC |
| May 2 3:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 83, New Orleans Hornets 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–21, 19–22, 22–26, 28–20 | ||
| Pts: Dwyane Wade 27 Rebs: Lamar Odom 11 Asts: Dwyane Wade 6 |
Pts: Brown, Lynch 16 each Rebs: Brown, Magloire 9 each Asts: Baron Davis 12 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
| New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana Attendance: 17,297 Referees: Sean Corbin, Joe Crawford, Blane Reichelt |
| ABC |
| May 4 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Orleans Hornets 77, Miami Heat 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 13–16, 22–22, 24–22 | ||
| Pts: Steve Smith 25 Rebs: Jamaal Magloire 10 Asts: Davis, Williams 4 each |
Pts: Caron Butler 23 Rebs: three players 9 each Asts: Dwyane Wade 7 | |
| Miami wins series, 4–3 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,286 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore |
| Miami won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- In Game 1, Dwyane Wade hits the game winner with 1.3 seconds left.
This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets franchise.
Western Conference first round
(1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (8) Denver Nuggets
| TNT |
| April 18 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Denver Nuggets 92, Minnesota Timberwolves 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 20–20, 26–28, 24–27 | ||
| Pts: Anthony, Camby 19 each Rebs: Marcus Camby 8 Asts: Earl Boykins 5 |
Pts: Sam Cassell 40 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 20 Asts: Garnett, Sprewell 4 each | |
| Minnesota leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 18,503 Referees: Tony Brothers, Mike Callahan, Jack Nies |
| ABC |
| April 21 8:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Denver Nuggets 81, Minnesota Timberwolves 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 9–22, 18–16, 27–29 | ||
| Pts: Voshon Lenard 24 Rebs: Carmelo Anthony 9 Asts: Anthony, Nenê 3 each |
Pts: Latrell Sprewell 31 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 22 Asts: Kevin Garnett 10 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 2–0 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 18,101 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Luis Grillo, Mark Wunderlich |
| ESPN2 |
| April 24 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 86, Denver Nuggets 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–30, 23–24, 25–31, 20–22 | ||
| Pts: Latrell Sprewell 25 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Kevin Garnett 8 |
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 24 Rebs: Marcus Camby 16 Asts: Andre Miller 6 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 2–1 | ||
| Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,713 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Tom Washington |
| TNT |
| April 27 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 84, Denver Nuggets 82 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 16–16, 30–27, 18–19 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 27 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 14 Asts: Kevin Garnett 5 |
Pts: Voshon Lenard 28 Rebs: Marcus Camby 14 Asts: Marcus Camby 5 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 3–1 | ||
| Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,694 Referees: Ron Garretson, Ron Olesiak, Bennett Salvatore |
| ESPN |
| April 30 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Denver Nuggets 91, Minnesota Timberwolves 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 26–29, 21–17, 25–28 | ||
| Pts: Camby, Miller 21 each Rebs: Marcus Camby 15 Asts: Boykins, Lenard 4 each |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 28 Rebs: Garnett, Madsen 7 each Asts: Kevin Garnett 8 | |
| Minnesota wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,890 Referees: Joe Forte, Steve Javie, Derrick Stafford |
| Minnesota won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves.
(2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (7) Houston Rockets
| ESPN |
| April 17 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Houston Rockets 71, Los Angeles Lakers 72 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 16–20, 17–9, 20–23 | ||
| Pts: Steve Francis 18 Rebs: Jim Jackson 12 Asts: Steve Francis 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 20 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Blane Reichelt |
| TNT |
| April 19 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Houston Rockets 84, Los Angeles Lakers 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 24–21, 18–30, 20–24 | ||
| Pts: Yao Ming 21 Rebs: Steve Francis 10 Asts: Steve Francis 12 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 36 Rebs: Karl Malone 8 Asts: Gary Payton 7 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Bennie Adams, Joe DeRosa, Bernie Fryer |
| ESPN |
| April 23 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 91, Houston Rockets 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–29, 20–27, 19–18, 29–28 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 25 Rebs: Malone, O'Neal 11 each Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
Pts: Steve Francis 27 Rebs: Jackson, Yao 10 each Asts: Steve Francis 7 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
| Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Attendance: 18,226 Referees: Mike Callahan, James Capers, Eddie F. Rush |
| ABC |
| April 25 3:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 92, Houston Rockets 88 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 24–17, 24–18, 12–22, Overtime: 11–7 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone 30 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
Pts: Steve Francis 17 Rebs: Jim Jackson 20 Asts: Steve Francis 9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
| Toyota Center, Houston, Texas Attendance: 18,219 Referees: Joe Crawford, David Jones, Bill Spooner |
| TNT |
| April 28 10:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Houston Rockets 78, Los Angeles Lakers 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 21–23, 9–25, 21–25 | ||
| Pts: Jim Jackson 17 Rebs: Kelvin Cato 12 Asts: Steve Francis 5 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Malone, O'Neal 9 each Asts: Kobe Bryant 10 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Monty McCutchen, Tom Washington |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.
| Tied 3–3 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Memphis Grizzlies
| ESPN |
| April 17 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Memphis Grizzlies 74, San Antonio Spurs 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 15–21, 18–22, 22–27 | ||
| Pts: Bonzi Wells 16 Rebs: Stromile Swift 7 Asts: Jason Williams 3 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 9 Asts: Tony Parker 8 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
| SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Bennie Adams, Joe DeRosa, Bernie Fryer |
| TNT |
| April 19 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Memphis Grizzlies 70, San Antonio Spurs 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 14–20, 24–22, 11–19 | ||
| Pts: Pau Gasol 20 Rebs: Pau Gasol 11 Asts: Jason Williams 4 |
Pts: Tony Parker 27 Rebs: Tim Duncan 12 Asts: Tony Parker 7 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 | ||
| SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Luis Grillo, Eddie F. Rush, Mark Wunderlich |
| ABC |
| April 22 8:30 pm |
| Recap |
| San Antonio Spurs 95, Memphis Grizzlies 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 21–29, 24–17, 21–19 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 22 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tony Parker 6 |
Pts: Pau Gasol 18 Rebs: Swift, Wright 6 each Asts: Gasol, Williams 3 each | |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–0 | ||
| The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 19,351 Referees: Sean Corbin, Jack Nies, Greg Willard |
| TNT |
| April 25 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| San Antonio Spurs 110, Memphis Grizzlies 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–21, 25–24, 30–27, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Tony Parker 29 Rebs: Duncan, Horry 6 each Asts: Tony Parker 13 |
Pts: Pau Gasol 22 Rebs: James Posey 11 Asts: Jason Williams 8 | |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–0 | ||
| The Pyramid, Memphis, Tennessee Attendance: 19,351 Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, Jess Kersey |
| Memphis won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the first playoff meeting between the Grizzlies and the Spurs.
(4) Sacramento Kings vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks
| ABC |
| April 18 3:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Dallas Mavericks 105, Sacramento Kings 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 34–29, 20–23, 20–30 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 32 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 13 Asts: Steve Nash 8 |
Pts: Peja Stojaković 28 Rebs: Chris Webber 12 Asts: Doug Christie 11 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jess Kersey, Bill Spooner |
| TNT |
| April 20 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Dallas Mavericks 79, Sacramento Kings 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 23–23, 18–17, 19–22 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 28 Rebs: Marquis Daniels 11 Asts: Steve Nash 9 |
Pts: Mike Bibby 24 Rebs: Chris Webber 13 Asts: Chris Webber 12 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–0 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Blane Reichelt |
| ESPN |
| April 24 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 79, Dallas Mavericks 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–33, 17–16, 17–34, 20–21 | ||
| Pts: Bibby, Webber 22 each Rebs: Peja Stojaković 8 Asts: Doug Christie 4 |
Pts: Marquis Daniels 22 Rebs: Josh Howard 14 Asts: Steve Nash 5 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 2–1 | ||
| American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,580 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Tim Donaghy |
| TNT |
| April 26 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 94, Dallas Mavericks 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 18–26, 31–21, 24–27 | ||
| Pts: Mike Bibby 22 Rebs: Brad Miller 16 Asts: three players 5 each |
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 21 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14 Asts: Steve Nash 9 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 3–1 | ||
| American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 20,677 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Tom Washington |
| TNT |
| April 29 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Dallas Mavericks 118, Sacramento Kings 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 37–24, 29–39, 30–33, 22–23 | ||
| Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 31 Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14 Asts: Steve Nash 14 |
Pts: Mike Bibby 36 Rebs: Peja Stojaković 10 Asts: Bibby, Christie 8 each | |
| Sacramento wins series, 4–1 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bennett Salvatore, Greg Willard |
| Dallas won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
| Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (4) Miami Heat
| TNT |
| May 6 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 81, Indiana Pacers 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 21–23, 21–23, 24–25 | ||
| Pts: Dwyane Wade 22 Rebs: Caron Butler 9 Asts: Alston, Wade 4 each |
Pts: Ron Artest 25 Rebs: Jeff Foster 10 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 | |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Dick Bavetta, James Capers, Tom Washington |
| ESPN |
| May 8 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 80, Indiana Pacers 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 17–23, 18–25, 26–22 | ||
| Pts: Odom, Wade 19 each Rebs: Lamar Odom 12 Asts: Alston, Wade 5 each |
Pts: Ron Artest 20 Rebs: Harrington, O'Neal 9 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 9 | |
| Indiana leads series, 2–0 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Joe Forte, Bernie Fryer, Bill Spooner |
| TNT |
| May 10 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 87, Miami Heat 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–14, 15–25, 25–25, 27–30 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 29 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 9 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 |
Pts: Dwyane Wade 25 Rebs: Brian Grant 16 Asts: Dwyane Wade 6 | |
| Indiana leads series, 2–1 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,115 Referees: Dan Crawford, Tim Donaghy, Derrick Stafford |
| ESPN |
| May 12 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 88, Miami Heat 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–26, 23–27, 13–23, 19–24 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 37 Rebs: Artest, Tinsley 8 each Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 |
Pts: Lamar Odom 22 Rebs: Caron Butler 10 Asts: Dwyane Wade 7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,128 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Luis Grillo, Eddie F. Rush |
| TNT |
| May 15 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Miami Heat 83, Indiana Pacers 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–19, 18–25, 16–29, 28–21 | ||
| Pts: Dwyane Wade 16 Rebs: Lamar Odom 10 Asts: Dwyane Wade 10 |
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 22 Rebs: Jeff Foster 16 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 8 | |
| Indiana leads series, 3–2 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Jim Clark, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore |
| ESPN |
| May 18 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 73, Miami Heat 70 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–20, 20–13, 23–19, 14–18 | ||
| Pts: Ron Artest 27 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 13 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 3 |
Pts: Dwyane Wade 24 Rebs: Brian Grant 10 Asts: three players 2 each | |
| Indiana wins series, 4–2 | ||
| American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 20,136 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Jack Nies |
| Indiana won 3–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Heat.
(3) Detroit Pistons vs. (2) New Jersey Nets
| ABC |
| May 3 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 56, Detroit Pistons 78 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–18, 11–19, 14–20, 17–21 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 15 Rebs: Jason Kidd 7 Asts: Jason Kidd 6 |
Pts: Hamilton, Prince 15 each Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: Richard Hamilton 7 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Mike Callahan, Luis Grillo, Eddie F. Rush |
| TNT |
| May 7 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 80, Detroit Pistons 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–18, 27–16, 11–27, 23–34 | ||
| Pts: Jefferson, Martin 19 each Rebs: Jason Collins 10 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 |
Pts: Billups, Hamilton 28 each Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: Chauncey Billups 13 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, David Jones |
| ABC |
| May 9 3:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 64, New Jersey Nets 82 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–31, 25–16, 14–19, 12–16 | ||
| Pts: Hamilton, B. Wallace 15 each Rebs: Ben Wallace 24 Asts: Ben Wallace 4 |
Pts: Richard Jefferson 30 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 9 Asts: Jason Kidd 12 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
| Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,000 Referees: Ron Garretson, Ken Mauer, Bennett Salvatore |
| TNT |
| May 11 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 79, New Jersey Nets 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–21, 22–26, 16–30, 23–17 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 30 Rebs: Ben Wallace 15 Asts: Chauncey Billups 5 |
Pts: Jason Kidd 22 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 15 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,860 Referees: Bob Delaney, Scott Foster, Steve Javie |
| TNT |
| May 14 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 127, Detroit Pistons 120 (3OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 18–25, 20–18, 25–26, Overtime: 11–11, 12–12, 16–9 | ||
| Pts: Richard Jefferson 31 Rebs: Jefferson, Kittles 11 each Asts: Jason Kidd 8 |
Pts: Chauncey Billups 31 Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: Richard Hamilton 11 | |
| New Jersey leads series, 3–2 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Sean Corbin, Greg Willard |
| TNT |
| May 16 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 81, New Jersey Nets 75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 27–11, 10–21, 21–18 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 24 Rebs: Ben Wallace 20 Asts: Richard Hamilton 4 |
Pts: Richard Jefferson 23 Rebs: Jefferson, Martin 7 each Asts: Jason Kidd 8 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
| Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,968 Referees: Bob Delaney, Scott Foster, Steve Javie |
| ESPN |
| May 20 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| New Jersey Nets 69, Detroit Pistons 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–21, 17–22, 19–30, 19–17 | ||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 18 Rebs: Kenyon Martin 12 Asts: Jason Kidd 7 |
Pts: Chauncey Billups 22 Rebs: Ben Wallace 8 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–3 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Eddie F. Rush |
- In Game 5, Chauncey Billups hits a half court buzzer beater to send the game to OT. 12 years later, Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors would do the same in Game 1 against the Miami Heat in their second round matchup.
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
| Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (4) Sacramento Kings
| TNT |
| May 4 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 104, Minnesota Timberwolves 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–27, 14–20, 25–26, 31–25 | ||
| Pts: Mike Bibby 33 Rebs: Brad Miller 10 Asts: Mike Bibby 7 |
Pts: Sam Cassell 40 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 18 Asts: Kevin Garnett 7 | |
| Sacramento leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 18,792 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Monty McCutchen |
| ESPN |
| May 8 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 89, Minnesota Timberwolves 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–17, 27–32, 31–24, 19–21 | ||
| Pts: Peja Stojaković 26 Rebs: Brad Miller 11 Asts: Mike Bibby 8 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 28 Rebs: Garnett, Johnson 11 each Asts: Sam Cassell 7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,599 Referees: Mike Callahan, Sean Corbin, Eddie F. Rush |
| TNT |
| May 10 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 114, Sacramento Kings 113 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–18, 24–28, 33–23, 25–35, Overtime: 10–9 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 30 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 15 Asts: Latrell Sprewell 6 |
Pts: Peja Stojaković 29 Rebs: Doug Christie 12 Asts: Mike Bibby 10 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 2–1 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Tony Brothers, Jim Clark |
| TNT |
| May 12 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 81, Sacramento Kings 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–21, 16–21, 26–17, 24–28 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 19 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 21 Asts: Cassell, Garnett 6 each |
Pts: Chris Webber 28 Rebs: Chris Webber 8 Asts: Mike Bibby 12 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: James Capers, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies |
| TNT |
| May 14 9:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 74, Minnesota Timberwolves 86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 16–20, 23–26, 17–22 | ||
| Pts: Mike Bibby 14 Rebs: Brad Miller 10 Asts: Mike Bibby 6 |
Pts: Latrell Sprewell 34 Rebs: Mark Madsen 13 Asts: Sam Cassell 7 | |
| Minnesota leads series, 3–2 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,318 Referees: Steve Javie, Blane Reichelt, Derrick Stafford |
| ABC |
| May 16 3:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 87, Sacramento Kings 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 14–33, 19–21, 24–26 | ||
| Pts: Latrell Sprewell 27 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10 Asts: Kevin Garnett 5 |
Pts: Peja Stojaković 22 Rebs: Peja Stojaković 8 Asts: Mike Bibby 10 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
| ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California Attendance: 17,317 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Bill Spooner |
| TNT |
| May 19 8:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Sacramento Kings 80, Minnesota Timberwolves 83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–22, 15–19, 29–21, 20–21 | ||
| Pts: Doug Christie 21 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Mike Bibby 8 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 32 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 21 Asts: Sam Cassell 7 | |
| Minnesota wins series, 4–3 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,944 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington |
| Minnesota won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the first playoff meeting between the Timberwolves and the Kings.
(3) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers
| ABC |
| May 2 2:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 78, San Antonio Spurs 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–21, 19–20, 32–21, 13–26 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 13 Asts: Karl Malone 5 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 30 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Tony Parker 9 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
| SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Tony Brothers, Jim Clark |
| TNT |
| May 5 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 85, San Antonio Spurs 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–33, 28–28, 23–12, 17–22 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 32 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Kobe Bryant 8 |
Pts: Tony Parker 30 Rebs: Bowen, Duncan 7 each Asts: Manu Ginóbili 6 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 | ||
| SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Scott Foster, Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard |
| ABC |
| May 9 12:30 pm |
| Recap |
| San Antonio Spurs 81, Los Angeles Lakers 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 16–14, 26–33, 23–30 | ||
| Pts: Manu Ginóbili 17 Rebs: Tim Duncan 13 Asts: Tony Parker 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 28 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Gary Payton 7 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Steve Javie, Jack Nies, Blane Reichelt |
| TNT |
| May 11 10:30 pm |
| Recap |
| San Antonio Spurs 90, Los Angeles Lakers 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–21, 26–22, 16–31, 21–24 | ||
| Pts: Manu Ginóbili 21 Rebs: Tim Duncan 10 Asts: Duncan, Parker 8 each |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 42 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 14 Asts: Karl Malone 6 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington |
| ESPN |
| May 13 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 74, San Antonio Spurs 73 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–18, 18–17, 20–18, 12–20 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 22 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 21 Rebs: Tim Duncan 21 Asts: Tony Parker 6 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
| SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 18,797 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Ron Garretson |
| TNT |
| May 15 7:30 pm |
| Recap |
| San Antonio Spurs 76, Los Angeles Lakers 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 18–16, 13–17, 24–32 | ||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 20 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 4 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 26 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 19 Asts: Bryant, Payton 7 each | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer, Eddie F. Rush |
In the final seconds of Game 5, Tim Duncan hits a fadeaway shot over Shaquille O'Neal to give the Spurs the lead, but with 0.4 seconds left, Derek Fisher off the inbounds pass hits a miracle buzzer beater to give the Lakers the victory.
| Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first nine meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) Detroit Pistons
| ESPN |
| May 22 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 74, Indiana Pacers 78 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 15–26, 17–13, 16–17 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 23 Rebs: Ben Wallace 22 Asts: Ben Wallace 5 |
Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 21 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 14 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 | |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bernie Fryer, Ken Mauer |
| ESPN |
| May 24 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 72, Indiana Pacers 67 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–17, 25–26, 18–11, 17–13 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 23 Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Chauncey Billups 6 |
Pts: Reggie Miller 21 Rebs: Jeff Foster 9 Asts: Anthony Johnson 4 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Jim Clark, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington |
| ESPN |
| May 26 8:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 78, Detroit Pistons 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 14–27, 16–9, 15–20, 33–29 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 24 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 9 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 4 |
Pts: Hamilton, R. Wallace 20 each Rebs: Ben Wallace 16 Asts: Chauncey Billups 8 | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Eddie Rush, Bill Spooner |
| ESPN |
| May 28 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 83, Detroit Pistons 68 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–17, 20–22, 21–11, 13–18 | ||
| Pts: Ron Artest 20 Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 13 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 22 Rebs: Ben Wallace 19 Asts: Chauncey Billups 5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Greg Willard |
| ESPN |
| May 30 7:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 83, Indiana Pacers 65 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–17, 16–19, 21–17, 21–12 | ||
| Pts: Richard Hamilton 33 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 |
Pts: Artest, Jones 13 each Rebs: Ron Artest 11 Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 5 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–2 | ||
| Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 18,345 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie |
| ESPN |
| June 1 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Indiana Pacers 65, Detroit Pistons 69 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–11, 10–16, 17–19, 15–23 | ||
| Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 20 Rebs: Artest, O'Neal 10 each Asts: Anthony Johnson 7 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 21 Rebs: Ben Wallace 16 Asts: Richard Hamilton 5 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–2 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford, Jack Nies |
| Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first meeting.
| Detroit leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
Western Conference finals
(1) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (2) Los Angeles Lakers
| TNT |
| May 21 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 97, Minnesota Timberwolves 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 23–20, 32–23, 19–21 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 18 Asts: Bryant, Fisher 6 each |
Pts: Latrell Sprewell 23 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10 Asts: Sam Cassell 8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,552 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Greg Willard |
| TNT |
| May 23 7:30 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 71, Minnesota Timberwolves 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 13–19, 19–17, 15–21 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 16 Asts: Kobe Bryant 6 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 24 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Latrell Sprewell 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,707 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Bill Spooner |
| TNT |
| May 25 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 89, Los Angeles Lakers 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 18–20, 30–26, 24–30 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 22 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11 Asts: Kevin Garnett 7 |
Pts: Bryant, O'Neal 22 each Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: Gary Payton 9 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford |
| TNT |
| May 27 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 85, Los Angeles Lakers 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 16–22, 20–30, 25–17 | ||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 28 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13 Asts: Kevin Garnett 9 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 19 Asts: Kobe Bryant 8 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies |
| TNT |
| May 29 8:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 96, Minnesota Timberwolves 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–14, 19–32, 23–27, 33–25 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 23 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 13 Asts: Kobe Bryant 7 |
Pts: Kevin Garnett 30 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 19 Asts: Latrell Sprewell 5 | |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 | ||
| Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 20,109 Referees: Jim Clark, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington |
| TNT |
| May 31 6:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Minnesota Timberwolves 90, Los Angeles Lakers 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 29–20, 22–19, 22–29 | ||
| Pts: Latrell Sprewell 27 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 17 Asts: Sprewell, Martin 5 each |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 25 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Gary Payton 8 | |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ken Mauer, Eddie Rush |
| Minnesota won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
| Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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NBA Finals: (W2) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (E3) Detroit Pistons
Main article: 2004 NBA Finals| ABC |
| June 6 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 87, Los Angeles Lakers 75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 18–22, 24–17, 23–17 | ||
| Pts: Chauncey Billups 22 Rebs: B. Wallace, R. Wallace 8 each Asts: Richard Hamilton 5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 34 Rebs: O'Neal, Malone 11 each Asts: Kobe Bryant 4 | |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer |
| ABC |
| June 8 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Detroit Pistons 91, Los Angeles Lakers 99 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–18, 20–26, 30–24, 23–21, Overtime: 2–10 | ||
| Pts: Chauncey Billups 27 Rebs: Ben Wallace 14 Asts: Chauncey Billups 9 |
Pts: Kobe Bryant 33 Rebs: Karl Malone 9 Asts: Luke Walton 8 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
| Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance: 18,997 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore |
| ABC |
| June 10 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 68, Detroit Pistons 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 16–15, 19–24, 17–25 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 14 Rebs: O'Neal, Medvedenko 8 each Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 31 Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: three players 3 each | |
| Detroit leads series, 2–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Mike Callahan, Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson |
| ABC |
| June 13 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 80, Detroit Pistons 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 17–20, 17–15, 24–32 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 17 Asts: Rick Fox 6 |
Pts: Rasheed Wallace 26 Rebs: R. Wallace, B. Wallace 13 each Asts: Richard Hamilton 6 | |
| Detroit leads series, 3–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jack Nies, Eddie Rush |
| ABC |
| June 15 9:00 pm |
| Recap |
| Los Angeles Lakers 87, Detroit Pistons 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 21–30, 14–27, 28–18 | ||
| Pts: Kobe Bryant 24 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 8 Asts: Luke Walton 5 |
Pts: Richard Hamilton 21 Rebs: Ben Wallace 22 Asts: Chauncey Billups 6 | |
| Detroit wins series, 4–1 | ||
| The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Bennett Salvatore |
- In Game 2, Kobe Bryant hits the game-tying 3 with 2.1 seconds left to force OT.
- Game 4 is Karl Malone's final NBA game.
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning nine of the first 11 meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 9–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Statistical leaders
See also
References
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus New Orleans Pelicans (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Minnesota Timberwolves versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
External links
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