1983 NBA playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 19–May 31, 1983 |
| Season | 1982–83 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Philadelphia 76ers (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Semifinalists | |
The 1983 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the
NBA Finals MVP
.
Malone made a famous prediction about the Sixers' chances prior to the playoffs, saying "Fo', fo', fo'" – predicting the number of games the Sixers would need to win each of the three series they would play on the way to a championship. They nearly accomplished this prediction of a sweep of all three rounds, only losing one game (to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals) en route to the championship. The Sixers set a record for highest winning percentage in the playoffs that was not broken until the Lakers went 15–1 in 2001. The Lakers' mark, however, came after the expansion to the current 16-team, four-round playoff format, which was first implemented in the 1984 playoffs, while the Sixers avoided the first round by virtue of their top seeding.
It was the third time in four years that the Lakers and 76ers had met in the NBA Finals, with the Lakers winning the previous two series.
After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Blazers began a string of 21 straight playoff appearances in 1983 lasting until 2003. They made the playoffs 25 out of 26 years from their title-winning season of 1977–2003. The record was just one season shy of the 22-year playoff run set by the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers from 1950–1971.
The Celtics were swept out of the playoffs for the first time in team history, losing 4–0 to the Bucks in the second round.
This was the Spurs' last appearance in the Conference Finals until 1995. However, for players such as George Gervin and Artis Gilmore, the 6-game loss to the Lakers was the last chance they got at reaching the NBA Finals, let alone an NBA Championship (Gilmore did return to the conference finals with the Celtics in 1988, but played sparingly).
This was the only season of the 12-team playoff bracket in which all four division champions advanced to the conference finals.
Bracket
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | New Jersey | 0 | E5 | New York | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| E5 | New York | 2 | Eastern Conference | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | |||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Boston | 2 | E2 | Milwaukee* | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| E6 | Atlanta | 1 | E1 | Philadelphia* | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Seattle | 0 | W5 | Portland | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland | 2 | Western Conference | W1 | Los Angeles* | 4 | |||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Denver | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Phoenix | 1 | W2 | San Antonio* | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| W6 | Denver | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
Eastern Conference first round
(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks
April 19
|
| Atlanta Hawks 95, Boston Celtics 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–22, 23–26, 25–24, 25–31 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Tiny Archibald 11 | |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 22
|
| Boston Celtics 93, Atlanta Hawks 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–28, 22–27, 24–14, 27–26 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Dan Roundfield 19 Rebs: Tree Rollins 14 Asts: Johnny Davis 14 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 10,405 |
April 24
|
| Atlanta Hawks 79, Boston Celtics 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 22–27, 17–19, 17–20 | ||
| : three players 3 each | Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Robert Parish 11 Asts: Larry Bird 9 | |
| Boston wins series, 2–1 | ||
- In the decisive Game 3, Hawks center Tree Rollins and Celtics guard Danny Ainge started a melee on the Boston Garden floor in which Rollins bit Ainge's finger.
| Boston won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning five of the first six meetings.
| Boston leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) New Jersey Nets vs. (5) New York Knicks
April 20
|
New Jersey Nets 107
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–27, 23–23, 31–26, 29–31 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Albert King 17 Rebs: Buck Williams 13 Asts: Cook, Birdsong 6 each | |
| New York leads series, 1–0 | ||
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 15,672 Referees: Jake Madden, Jess Kersey, Joe Crawford |
April 21
|
New Jersey Nets 99, New York Knicks 105
| ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–32, 16–30, 31–18, 29–25 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Truck Robinson 22 Rebs: Truck Robinson 13 Asts: Paul Westphal 7 | |
| New York wins series, 2–0 | ||
| New Jersey won 4–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Knicks.[2]
Western Conference first round
(3) Phoenix Suns vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
April 19
|
| Denver Nuggets 108, Phoenix Suns 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–23, 24–39, 21–28, 31–31 | ||
| 4 each | Pts: Dennis Johnson 28 Rebs: Dennis Johnson 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 | |
| Phoenix leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 21
|
| Phoenix Suns 99, Denver Nuggets 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–27, 26–35, 26–25, 25–26 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 26 Rebs: Dan Issel 11 Asts: Rob Williams 9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
April 24
|
| Denver Nuggets 117, Phoenix Suns 112 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 30–27, 28–32, 19–16, Overtime: 11–6 | ||
| 6 each | Pts: Walter Davis 29 Rebs: Larry Nance 12 Asts: Alvan Adams 9 | |
| Denver wins series, 2–1 | ||
- Mike Evans hits the game-tying 3-pointer with 37 seconds left to force OT.
| Denver won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first meeting.
| Phoenix leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(4) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers
April 20
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 108, Seattle SuperSonics 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 28–19, 27–29, 22–23 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Gus Williams 34 Rebs: Jack Sikma 15 Asts: Williams, Sikma 7 each | |
| Portland leads series, 1–0 | ||
Seattle, Washington Attendance: 9,211 |
April 22
|
| Seattle SuperSonics 96, Portland Trail Blazers 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 15–31, 25–29, 28–22 | ||
| 4 | Pts: Jim Paxson 26 Rebs: Mychal Thompson 12 Asts: Thompson, Lever 6 each | |
| Portland wins series, 2–0 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first two meetings.
| Seattle leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) New York Knicks
April 24
|
| New York Knicks 102, Philadelphia 76ers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 31–29, 21–26, 26–25 | ||
| 10 | Pts: Moses Malone 38 Rebs: Moses Malone 17 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 10 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 27
|
| New York Knicks 91, Philadelphia 76ers 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–20, 29–21, 9–24, 23–33 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Moses Malone 30 Rebs: Moses Malone 17 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 6 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 | ||
April 30
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 107, New York Knicks 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 27–24, 26–26, 29–28 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Bernard King 21 Rebs: Truck Robinson 15 Asts: Rory Sparrow 6 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 17,735 Referees: Hugh Evans, Wally Rooney, Dick Bavetta |
May 1
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 105, New York Knicks 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 29–21, 21–27, 28–27 | ||
| 7 | Pts: Bernard King 35 Rebs: Truck Robinson 15 Asts: Sparrow, Westphal 8 each | |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Attendance: 15,457 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins, Lee Jones |
| Philadelphia won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning five of the first seven meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Boston Celtics
April 27
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 116, Boston Celtics 95 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 31–24, 32–24, 30–23 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Tiny Archibald 7 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 | ||
April 29
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 95, Boston Celtics 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 20–29, 32–25, 21–9 | ||
| 4 | Pts: Danny Ainge 25 Rebs: Robert Parish 10 Asts: Gerald Henderson 8 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 1
|
| Boston Celtics 99, Milwaukee Bucks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–27, 22–30, 25–26, 18–24 | ||
| 6 each | Pts: Sidney Moncrief 26 Rebs: Junior Bridgeman 10 Asts: Bob Lanier 6 | |
| Milwaukee leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 2
|
| Boston Celtics 93, Milwaukee Bucks 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–23, 18–23, 26–29, 30–32 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Marques Johnson 33 Rebs: Alton Lister 11 Asts: Marques Johnson 6 | |
| Milwaukee wins series, 4–0 | ||
- First time the Celtics were swept in a playoff series since 1954.
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
| Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers
April 24
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 97, Los Angeles Lakers 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–36, 30–26, 28–26, 16–30 | ||
| : three players 7 each | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32 Rebs: Johnson, Rambis 9 each Asts: Magic Johnson 18 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 13,891 |
April 26
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 106, Los Angeles Lakers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–37, 26–20, 31–28, 17–27 | ||
| 15 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 37 Rebs: Jamaal Wilkes 9 Asts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 7 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–0 | ||
The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 16,239 |
April 29
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 115, Portland Trail Blazers 109 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 32–28, 22–19, 18–28, 26–23, Overtime: 17–11 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Paxson, Natt 22 each Rebs: Natt, Cooper 10 each Asts: Darnell Valentine 14 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 1
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 95, Portland Trail Blazers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 29–35, 28–22, 19–20 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Jim Paxson 20 Rebs: Calvin Natt 10 Asts: Darnell Valentine 11 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–1 | ||
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Darell Garretson, Mike Mathis, Tommy Nuñez |
May 3
|
| Portland Trail Blazers 108, Los Angeles Lakers 116 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–39, 17–27, 24–24, 42–26 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Norm Nixon 36 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 | |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning the first meeting.
| Portland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
April 26
|
| Denver Nuggets 133, San Antonio Spurs 152 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 39–39, 29–43, 37–34, 28–36 | ||
| 7 each | Pts: George Gervin 42 Rebs: Gene Banks 11 Asts: Johnny Moore 17 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 10,116 |
April 27
|
| Denver Nuggets 109, San Antonio Spurs 126 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–36, 32–34, 26–28, 20–28 | ||
| 9 | Pts: George Gervin 30 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 12 Asts: Johnny Moore 20 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 10,690 |
April 29
|
| San Antonio Spurs 127, Denver Nuggets 126 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 33–35, 27–27, 30–32, 28–24, Overtime: 9–8 | ||
| 12 | Pts: Alex English 39 Rebs: Kiki VanDeWeghe 14 Asts: English, Williams 7 each | |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 2
|
| San Antonio Spurs 114, Denver Nuggets 124 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–40, 21–32, 35–26, 29–26 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 37 Rebs: Kiki VanDeWeghe 11 Asts: Alex English 11 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–1 | ||
May 4
|
| Denver Nuggets 105, San Antonio Spurs 145 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–35, 25–37, 29–40, 30–33 | ||
| 6 | Pts: George Gervin 26 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 15 Asts: Johnny Moore 13 | |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–1 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 12,736 Referees: Earl Strom, Jess Kersey |
| San Antonio won 4–2 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the first playoff meeting between the Nuggets and the Spurs.[8]
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Milwaukee Bucks
May 8
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 109, Philadelphia 76ers 111 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 34–24, 24–26, 23–19, Overtime: 5–7 | ||
| 6 each | Pts: Maurice Cheeks 26 Rebs: Moses Malone 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 | ||
- Junior Bridgeman hits the game-tying shot with 42 seconds left to force OT.
May 11
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 81, Philadelphia 76ers 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 21–23, 22–28, 20–16 | ||
| 4 each | Pts: Moses Malone 26 Rebs: Moses Malone 17 Asts: Cheeks, Toney 4 each | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 | ||
May 14
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 104, Milwaukee Bucks 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 22–20, 26–24, 33–24 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Junior Bridgeman 24 Rebs: Sidney Moncrief 10 Asts: Brian Winters 7 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 15
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 94, Milwaukee Bucks 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 21–25, 29–25, 21–29 | ||
| 8 | Pts: Marques Johnson 19 Rebs: Marques Johnson 10 Asts: Marques Johnson 8 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–1 | ||
May 18
|
| Milwaukee Bucks 103, Philadelphia 76ers 115 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–31, 25–28, 25–29, 24–27 | ||
| 5 | Pts: Andrew Toney 30 Rebs: Moses Malone 17 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 8 | |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–1 | ||
| Philadelphia won 5–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning two of the first three meetings.
| Philadelphia leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
Western Conference finals
(1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs
May 8
|
| San Antonio Spurs 107, Los Angeles Lakers 119 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–32, 31–26, 22–29, 24–32 | ||
| 18 | Pts: Abdul-Jabbar, Nixon 30 each Rebs: three players 8 each Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 10
|
| San Antonio Spurs 122, Los Angeles Lakers 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 35–26, 25–31, 37–32, 25–24 | ||
| 15 | Pts: Johnson, Nixon 28 each Rebs: Magic Johnson 12 Asts: Norm Nixon 11 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
May 13
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 113, San Antonio Spurs 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 24–24, 34–19, 27–28 | ||
| 13 | Pts: Mike Mitchell 23 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 14 Asts: Johnny Moore 9 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 2–1 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,782 |
May 15
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 129, San Antonio Spurs 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 36–29, 35–30, 27–37, 31–25 | ||
| 17 | Pts: Mike Mitchell 35 Rebs: Mike Mitchell 11 Asts: Johnny Moore 17 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–1 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,782 Referees: Earl Strom, Ed Rush |
May 18
|
| San Antonio Spurs 117, Los Angeles Lakers 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 31–29, 33–28, 22–21 | ||
| 17 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 | |
| Los Angeles leads series, 3–2 | ||
May 20
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 101, San Antonio Spurs 100 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 35–29, 22–26, 15–19 | ||
| 16 | Pts: George Gervin 25 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 18 Asts: Johnny Moore 14 | |
| Los Angeles wins series, 4–2 | ||
San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 15,782 |
| San Antonio won 4–1 in the regular-season series |
|---|
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 |
|---|
NBA Finals: (E1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers
May 22
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 107, Philadelphia 76ers 113 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 37–24, 26–31, 24–28 | ||
| 11 | Pts: Moses Malone 27 Rebs: Moses Malone 18 Asts: Julius Erving 9 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 | ||
May 26
|
| Los Angeles Lakers 93, Philadelphia 76ers 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 26–25, 20–28, 18–24 | ||
| 13 | Pts: Moses Malone 24 Rebs: Moses Malone 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 8 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 | ||
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 18,482 Referees: Darell Garretson, John Vanak, Earl Strom |
May 29
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 111, Los Angeles Lakers 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 28–20, 23–20, 39–22 | ||
| 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 15 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–0 | ||
May 31
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 115, Los Angeles Lakers 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 27–39, 31–28, 33–15 | ||
| 9 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28 Rebs: four players 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 15 | |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–0 | ||
| Philadelphia won 2–0 in the regular-season series |
|---|
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
| Los Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series |
|---|
See also
- NBA records
References
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — New York Knicks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Milwaukee Bucks versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2015.