2005 NBA playoffs

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

2005 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 23–June 23, 2005
Season2004–05
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsSan Antonio Spurs (3rd title)
Runner-upDetroit Pistons
Semifinalists
← 2004
2006 →

The 2005 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the

Finals MVP
.

Overview

The Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards ended long playoff droughts in 2005, meeting each other in the first round. For the Washington Wizards, it was their first playoff appearance since 1997 (and even more ironic their opponents for that postseason appearance were the Bulls who swept them on their way to their fifth NBA title), and only their second since 1988. For the Chicago Bulls, it was their first post-Michael Jordan playoff appearance, as their last playoff game was Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. They consistently placed at or near the bottom of the Central Division in between, but their 47–35 season in 2005 was a 24–game improvement from 2004.

The Phoenix Suns returned to the NBA playoffs after a one season absence. The Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies also entered their second consecutive postseason.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, it marked the first time in 11 seasons (dating back to 1994) and the fifth time in NBA history that they missed the playoffs. This is also the last time until 2018 that the playoffs were played entirely outside of Los Angeles.

This was the last time that the Seattle SuperSonics would be in the playoffs before they relocated to Oklahoma to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Minnesota Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

For the third straight year (fifth overall) the Pacers met the Celtics in the first round. Boston won in 2003 4–2, while Indiana swept Boston in 2004. This time, Indiana won 4–3. It would be Boston's last playoff appearance until 2008.

With their first round series win over the Chicago Bulls, the Washington Wizards their first since 1982. They also won a best of seven series for the first time since 1979.

With their first round sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Phoenix Suns won their first playoff series since 2000.

With their conference semifinals sweep of the Washington Wizards, the Miami Heat became the first team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds after the first round was made into a best–of–7 in the 2003 playoffs. The 2009 Cavaliers, 2010 Magic, 2012 Spurs, 2016 Cavaliers, 2017 Cavaliers and the 2017 Warriors followed suit. No team (until 2016) has made the finals after going 8–0 in the first two rounds, let alone win 12 straight games going to the NBA Finals (until the 2017 Warriors), though the Spurs came close in 2012 when they won their first 10 playoff games, then lost their next four to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds and make the NBA Finals.

With their conference semifinals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Phoenix Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1993, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

Game 6 of the Spurs–SuperSonics series was the last NBA Playoff game ever played at Key Arena.

With their Game 7 win over the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons advanced to their second consecutive NBA Finals.

The NBA Finals marked the first time since 1987 that the two previous champions met in the Finals (the Spurs won in 2003, the Pistons in 2004).

The NBA Finals went to a Game 7 for the first time since 1994.

With their Game 7 win over the Detroit Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Championship. For the Spurs, it was their third title (they also won in the lockout–shortened season of 1998–99).

Format

Beginning with the 2004–05 season, with the addition of the 30th NBA franchise, the

Charlotte Bobcats
, the NBA realigned its divisions. Each conference now has three divisions of five teams each, and at this point in time, the winner of each division was guaranteed a top three playoff seed, regardless of whether the team had one of the top eight records in its conference. However, the division champion was not guaranteed home court advantage; a division-leading team with a poor record could be ranked number three but face a sixth seed with a better record, which would then have home court advantage. This has since been rectified by the NBA.

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Best record in conference

The Miami Heat clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:

  1. Miami Heat (59-23) (clinched Southeast division)
  2. Detroit Pistons (54-28) (clinched Central division)
  3. Boston Celtics (45-37) (clinched Atlantic division)
  4. Chicago Bulls (47-35)
  5. Washington Wizards (45-37)
  6. Indiana Pacers (44-38)
  7. Philadelphia 76ers (43-39)
  8. New Jersey Nets
    (42-40)

Western Conference

Best record in NBA

The Phoenix Suns clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. However, when Phoenix lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals.

Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:

  1. Phoenix Suns (62-20) (clinched Pacific division)
  2. San Antonio Spurs (59-23) (clinched Southwest division)
  3. Seattle SuperSonics (52-30) (clinched Northwest division)
  4. Dallas Mavericks (58-24)
  5. Houston Rockets (51-31)
  6. Sacramento Kings (50-32)
  7. Denver Nuggets (49-33)
  8. Memphis Grizzlies (45-37)

Bracket

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Miami* 4
E8 New Jersey 0
E1 Miami* 4
E5 Washington 0
E4 Chicago 2
E5 Washington 4
E1 Miami* 3
Eastern Conference
E2 Detroit* 4
E3 Boston* 3
E6 Indiana 4
E6 Indiana 2
E2 Detroit* 4
E2 Detroit* 4
E7 Philadelphia 1
E2 Detroit* 3
W2 San Antonio* 4
W1 Phoenix* 4
W8 Memphis 0
W1 Phoenix* 4
W4 Dallas 2
W4 Dallas 4
W5 Houston 3
W1 Phoenix* 1
Western Conference
W2 San Antonio* 4
W3 Seattle* 4
W6 Sacramento 1
W3 Seattle* 2
W2 San Antonio* 4
W2 San Antonio* 4
W7 Denver 1
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

All times are in
UTC−4
)

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Miami Heat vs. (8) New Jersey Nets

April 24
3:30 pm
New Jersey Nets 98, Miami Heat
116
Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 23–32, 31–33, 25–29
8 Pts: Dwyane Wade 32
Rebs: Haslem, O'Neal 11 each
Asts: Dwyane Wade 8
Miami leads series, 1–0
April 26
8:00 pm
New Jersey Nets 87, Miami Heat
104
Scoring by quarter: 16–26, 23–22, 20–28, 28–28
5 each Pts: Alonzo Mourning 21
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10
Miami leads series, 2–0
April 28
7:00 pm
New Jersey Nets
105 (2OT)
Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 32–21, 25–24, 16–21Overtime: 9–9, 9–6
8 Pts: Vince Carter 36
Rebs: Jason Kidd 16
Asts: Jason Kidd 13
Miami leads series, 3–0
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 20,174
Referees: Dick Bavetta
, James Capers, Mike Callahan
May 1
3:30 pm
New Jersey Nets
97
Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 21–30, 27–18, 35–34
9 Pts: Jason Kidd 25
Rebs: Vince Carter 10
Asts: Jason Kidd 7
Miami wins series, 4–0
Eddie F. Rush
, Monty Mccutchen, Sean Corbin

This was the first playoff meeting between the Nets and the Heat.[1]

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

April 23
3:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 85, Detroit Pistons 106
Scoring by quarter: 28–16, 18–32, 24–32, 15–26
10 Pts: Rasheed Wallace 29
Rebs: B. Wallace, R. Wallace 10 each
Asts: Richard Hamilton 5
Detroit leads series, 1–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Greg Willard, Jack Nies
April 26
7:30 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 84, Detroit Pistons 99
Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 13–22, 21–27, 27–30
10 Pts: Richard Hamilton 23
Rebs: Ben Wallace 10
Asts: Chauncey Billups 8
Detroit leads series, 2–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Tony Brothers
April 29
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 104, Philadelphia 76ers 115
Scoring by quarter: 32–24, 22–27, 24–29, 26–35
12 Pts: Allen Iverson 37
Rebs: Samuel Dalembert 10
Asts: Allen Iverson 15
Detroit leads series, 2–1
May 1
1:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 97, Philadelphia 76ers 92 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 20–14, 19–23, 23–22, Overtime: 14–9
7 Pts: Allen Iverson 36
Rebs: Samuel Dalembert 15
Asts: Allen Iverson 8
Detroit leads series, 3–1
Bob Delaney, David Jones, Steve Javie
May 3
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 78, Detroit Pistons 88
Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 20–22, 17–17, 17–28
7 Pts: Billups, Hamilton 23 each
Rebs: Ben Wallace 13
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Detroit wins series, 4–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Scott Foster, Sean Corbin

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece. The first meeting took place while the Nationals/76ers franchise were in Syracuse and the Pistons franchise were in Fort Wayne.

(3) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Indiana Pacers

April 23
8:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 82, Boston Celtics 102
Scoring by quarter: 20–18, 11–39, 25–29, 26–16
5 Pts: Raef LaFrentz 21
Rebs: Paul Pierce 9
Asts: Gary Payton 7
Boston leads series, 1–0
April 25
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 82, Boston Celtics 79
Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 17–20, 17–27, 18–10
7 Pts: Paul Pierce 32
Rebs: Pierce, Walker 7 each
Asts: Paul Pierce 5
Series tied, 1–1
April 28
7:30 pm
Boston Celtics 76, Indiana Pacers 99
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 19–31, 21–16, 17–28
6 Pts: Reggie Miller 33
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 11
Asts: Anthony Johnson 8
Indiana leads series, 2–1
April 30
7:00 pm
Boston Celtics 110, Indiana Pacers 79
Scoring by quarter: 31–20, 25–27, 22–16, 32–16
8 Pts:
James Jones 9
Asts: Anthony Johnson
7
Series tied, 2–2
May 3
7:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 90, Boston Celtics 85
Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 27–21, 20–23, 20–20
7 Pts: Paul Pierce 27
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: four players 3 each
Indiana leads series, 3–2
May 5
7:00 pm
Boston Celtics 92, Indiana Pacers 89 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 20–27, 29–16, 21–19, 14–22Overtime: 8–5
6 Pts: Jermaine O'Neal 26
Rebs: Dale Davis 14
Asts: Anthony Johnson 4
Series tied, 3–3
May 7
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 97, Boston Celtics 70
Scoring by quarter: 22–20, 13–12, 29–18, 33–20
6 Pts: Antoine Walker 20
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Gary Payton 7
Indiana wins series, 4–3

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning three of the first four meetings.

(4) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Washington Wizards

April 24
4:30 pm
Washington Wizards 94, Chicago Bulls 103
Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 26–29, 30–24, 12–26
8 Pts:
Ben Gordon 30
Rebs: Andrés Nocioni 18
Asts: Kirk Hinrich
7
Chicago leads series, 1–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,655
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Michael Smith, Mike Callahan
April 27
7:30 pm
Washington Wizards 103, Chicago Bulls 113
Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 21–38, 20–24, 33–32
5 Pts: Kirk Hinrich 34
Rebs: Chris Duhon 8
Asts: Chris Duhon 7
Chicago leads series, 2–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,605
Referees: David Jones, Monty Mccutchen, Ron Garretson
April 30
3:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 99, Washington Wizards 117
Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 32–26, 22–33, 22–27
: three players 4 each Pts: Gilbert Arenas 32
Rebs: Haywood, Thomas 9 each
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 7
Chicago leads series, 2–1
MCI Center
, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington, Tony Brothers
May 2
7:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 99, Washington Wizards 106
Scoring by quarter: 15–29, 22–32, 23–19, 39–26
Gordon, Hinrich
5 each
Pts: Juan Dixon 35
Rebs: Etan Thomas 9
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 5
Series tied, 2–2
MCI Center
, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Joe Forte
May 4
6:00 pm
Washington Wizards 112, Chicago Bulls 110
Scoring by quarter: 34–28, 29–21, 23–24, 26–37
8 Pts:
Ben Gordon 27
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 10
Asts: Kirk Hinrich
7
Washington leads series, 3–2
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,250
Referees: Bob Delaney, Derrick Stafford, Greg Willard
May 6
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 91, Washington Wizards 94
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 28–29, 20–16, 17–26
9 Pts: Larry Hughes 21
Rebs: Ruffin, Haywood 8 each
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 7
Washington wins series, 4–2
MCI Center
, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies, Jim Clark

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.

Western Conference first round

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

April 24
9:30 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 103, Phoenix Suns 114
Scoring by quarter: 28–39, 22–20, 28–28, 25–27
5 Pts: Shawn Marion 26
Rebs: Shawn Marion 13
Asts: Steve Nash 13
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
April 27
7:30 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 103, Phoenix Suns 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–29, 23–31, 23–22, 26–26
5 Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 34
Rebs: Shawn Marion 13
Asts: Steve Nash 15
Phoenix leads series, 2–0
April 29
8:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 110, Memphis Grizzlies 90
Scoring by quarter: 31–30, 26–17, 26–20, 27–23
8 Pts: Lorenzen Wright 14
Rebs: three players 8 each
Asts: Jason Williams 6
Phoenix leads series, 3–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Joe Forte, Steve Javie, Tim Donaghy
May 1
7:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 123, Memphis Grizzlies 115
Scoring by quarter: 39–20, 24–36, 28–26, 32–33
9 Pts: Pau Gasol 28
Rebs: Dahntay Jones 5
Asts: Jason Williams 8
Phoenix wins series, 4–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 17,243
Referees: Ken Mauer, Mark Wunderlich, Ron Garretson

This was the first playoff meeting between the Grizzlies and the Suns.[5]

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Denver Nuggets

April 24
7:00 pm
Denver Nuggets 93, San Antonio Spurs 87
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 29–25, 21–23, 20–12
5 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 23
Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 15
Asts: Tony Parker 6
Denver leads series, 1–0
April 27
7:00 pm
Denver Nuggets 76, San Antonio Spurs 104
Scoring by quarter: 18–29, 14–34, 30–23, 14–18
DeMarr Johnson 12
Rebs: Marcus Camby 12
Asts: Andre Miller
7
Pts: Tim Duncan 24
Rebs: Duncan, Horry 9 each
Asts: Tony Parker 6
Series tied, 1–1
April 30
8:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 86, Denver Nuggets 78
Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 26–21, 11–17, 25–20
4 Pts: Carmelo Anthony 19
Rebs: Marcus Camby 14
Asts: Andre Miller 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
May 2
8:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 126, Denver Nuggets 115 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 29–24, 30–29, 20–27Overtime: 19–8
7 Pts: Earl Boykins 32
Rebs: Marcus Camby 14
Asts: Anthony, Boykins 5 each
San Antonio leads series, 3–1
May 4
8:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 89, San Antonio Spurs 99
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 22–20, 24–26, 22–28
6 Pts: Tony Parker 21
Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 13
Asts: Tony Parker 7
San Antonio wins series, 4–1

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning three of the first four meetings.

(3) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (6) Sacramento Kings

April 23
5:30 pm
Sacramento Kings 82, Seattle SuperSonics 87
Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 18–25, 24–15, 18–17
4 Pts: Ray Allen 28
Rebs: Evans, James 15 each
Asts: Daniels, Ridnour 4 each
Seattle leads series, 1–0
April 26
7:30 pm
Sacramento Kings 93, Seattle SuperSonics 105
Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 22–29, 18–33, 31–17
Bobby Jackson 17
Rebs: Peja Stojaković 10
Asts: Mike Bibby
8
Pts: Ray Allen 26
Rebs: Jerome James 9
Asts: Allen, Ridnour 6 each
Seattle leads series, 2–0
April 29
7:30 pm
Seattle SuperSonics 104, Sacramento Kings 116
Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 26–23, 36–38, 23–24
5 each Pts: Mike Bibby 31
Rebs: Bibby, Thomas 7 each
Asts: Mike Bibby 4
Seattle leads series, 2–1
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317
Referees: Blane Reichelt, Eddie F. Rush, Joe DeRosa
May 1
7:30 pm
Seattle SuperSonics 115, Sacramento Kings 102
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 36–37, 24–16, 35–18
6 each Pts: Peja Stojaković 25
Rebs: Kenny Thomas 14
Asts: Mike Bibby 7
Seattle leads series, 3–1
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California
Attendance: 17,317
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Bill Spooner, Jack Nies
May 3
10:00 pm
Sacramento Kings 118, Seattle SuperSonics 122
Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 33–31, 36–30, 25–32
11 Pts: Ray Allen 30
Rebs: Nick Collison 9
Asts: Antonio Daniels 8
Seattle wins series, 4–1

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first meeting.

(4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Houston Rockets

April 23
12:30 pm
Houston Rockets 98, Dallas Mavericks 86
Scoring by quarter: 26–16, 26–24, 18–23, 28–23
6 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 21
Rebs: Josh Howard 10
Asts: Nowitzki, Terry 3 each
Houston leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,678
Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer
April 25
9:30 pm
Houston Rockets 113, Dallas Mavericks 111
Scoring by quarter: 34–30, 26–26, 24–32, 29–23
10 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 26
Rebs: Erick Dampier 9
Asts: Jason Terry 6
Houston leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,884
Referees: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Mark Wunderlich
April 28
8:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 106, Houston Rockets 102
Scoring by quarter: 32–27, 22–22, 24–34, 28–19
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 28
Rebs: three players 6 each
Asts: Daniels, Terry
4 each
Pts: Tracy McGrady 28
Rebs: Bob Sura 11
Asts: McGrady, Sura 6 each
Houston leads series, 2–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,199
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Jess Kersey, Scott Foster
April 30
4:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 97, Houston Rockets 93
Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 22–29, 29–26, 20–16
6 Pts: Tracy McGrady 36
Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 7
Asts: Tracy McGrady 5
Series tied, 2–2
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,211
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Luis Grillo
May 2
9:30 pm
Houston Rockets 100, Dallas Mavericks 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 22–28, 24–24, 32–27
6 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 23
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 13
Asts: Jason Terry 7
Dallas leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,894
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Joe DeRosa, Tony Brothers
May 5
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 83, Houston Rockets 101
Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 19–34, 25–17, 13–32
4 each Pts: Tracy McGrady 37
Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 10
Asts: Tracy McGrady 7
Series tied, 3–3
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,215
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Joe Forte, Sean Corbin
May 7
9:30 pm
Houston Rockets 76, Dallas Mavericks 116
Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 24–27, 20–33, 12–24
7 Pts: Jason Terry 31
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 14
Asts: Armstrong Stackhouse 4 each
Dallas wins series, 4–3
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,884
Referees: Bill Spooner, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning the first meeting.

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

(1) Miami Heat vs. (5) Washington Wizards

May 8
3:30 pm
Washington Wizards 86, Miami Heat 105
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 29–23, 17–33, 22–23
3 Pts: Dwyane Wade 20
Rebs: Eddie Jones 8
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Miami leads series, 1–0
May 10
7:00 pm
Washington Wizards 102, Miami Heat 108
Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 27–24, 24–26, 31–28
5 Pts: Dwyane Wade 31
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 13
Asts: Dwyane Wade 15
Miami leads series, 2–0
May 12
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 102, Washington Wizards 95
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 28–27, 30–19, 23–25
6 each Pts: Antawn Jamison 21
Rebs: Brendan Haywood 8
Asts: Gilbert Arenas 14
Miami leads series, 3–0
MCI Center
, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Jess Kersey, Ken Mauer
May 14
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 99, Washington Wizards 95
Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 24–25, 40–25, 12–19
6 Pts: Gilbert Arenas 25
Rebs: Brendan Haywood 15
Asts: Larry Hughes 5
Miami wins series, 4–0
MCI Center
, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,173
Referees: Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Monty Mccutchen

This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the Wizards.[9]

(2) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Indiana Pacers

May 9
8:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 81, Detroit Pistons 96
Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 18–29, 19–20, 24–24
3 each Pts: Richard Hamilton 28
Rebs: Ben Wallace 15
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Detroit leads series, 1–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Jess Kersey, Jim Clark
May 11
8:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 92, Detroit Pistons 83
Scoring by quarter: 18–33, 22–17, 28–19, 24–14
12 Pts: Tayshaun Prince 24
Rebs: Ben Wallace 16
Asts: Chauncey Billups 10
Series tied, 1–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Sean Corbin
May 13
6:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 74, Indiana Pacers 79
Scoring by quarter: 11–17, 17–25, 17–16, 29–21
6 Pts: Reggie Miller 17
Rebs: Jeff Foster 12
Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 6
Indiana leads series, 2–1
May 15
2:30 pm
Detroit Pistons 89, Indiana Pacers 76
Scoring by quarter: 21–13, 26–21, 25–22, 17–20
7 Pts: Stephen Jackson 23
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 13
Asts: Anthony Johnson 6
Series tied, 2–2
May 17
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 67, Detroit Pistons 86
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 14–19, 11–27, 21–17
5 Pts: Ben Wallace 19
Rebs: Tayshaun Prince 9
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Detroit leads series, 3–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Jack Nies, Joe Crawford
May 19
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 88, Indiana Pacers 79
Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 20–25, 23–17, 26–16
8 Pts: Reggie Miller 27
Rebs: Jermaine O'Neal 11
Asts: Jamaal Tinsley 10
Detroit wins series, 4–2

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning the first two meetings.

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (4) Dallas Mavericks

May 9
10:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 102, Phoenix Suns 127
Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 25–34, 26–36, 29–28
4 Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 40
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 16
Asts: Steve Nash 13
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
May 11
10:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 108, Phoenix Suns 106
Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 20–24, 26–36, 28–24
5 each Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 30
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 16
Asts: Steve Nash 13
Series tied, 1–1
May 13
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 119, Dallas Mavericks 102
Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 33–28, 27–23, 32–20
17 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 21
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 13
Asts: Jason Terry 7
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,896
Referees: Eddie F. Rush, Jim Clark, Sean Corbin
May 15
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 109, Dallas Mavericks 119
Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 28–36, 29–27, 30–26
5 Pts: Josh Howard 29
Rebs: Erick Dampier 11
Asts: Jason Terry 8
Series tied, 2–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,894
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Joe DeRosa, Mark Wunderlich
May 18
6:00 pm
Dallas Mavericks 108, Phoenix Suns 114
Scoring by quarter: 29–25, 26–23, 22–28, 31–38
8 Pts: Steve Nash 34
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 18
Asts: Steve Nash 12
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
May 20
8:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 130, Dallas Mavericks 126 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 25–30, 24–22, 34–27, Overtime: 19–15
12 Pts: Jason Terry 36
Rebs: Josh Howard 14
Asts: Dirk Nowitzki 6
Phoenix wins series, 4–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,915
Referees: Bernie Fryer, Derrick Stafford, Ron Garretson

This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Suns.[11]

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Seattle SuperSonics

May 8
8:00 pm
Seattle SuperSonics 81, San Antonio Spurs 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 13–27, 22–13, 24–28
4 Pts: Tony Parker 29
Rebs: Tim Duncan 9
Asts: Tim Duncan 5
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
May 10
9:30 pm
Seattle SuperSonics 91, San Antonio Spurs 108
Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 26–26, 23–25, 26–29
6 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 28
Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 10
Asts: Tony Parker 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
May 12
7:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 91, Seattle SuperSonics 92
Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 22–28, 24–26, 16–17
8 Pts: Ray Allen 20
Rebs: Rashard Lewis 10
Asts: Ray Allen 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
May 15
4:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 89, Seattle SuperSonics 101
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 14–18, 26–36, 23–19
3 each Pts: Ray Allen 32
Rebs: three players 6 each
Asts: Antonio Daniels 7
Series tied, 2–2
May 17
8:30 pm
Seattle SuperSonics 90, San Antonio Spurs 103
Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 32–25, 18–28, 22–25
6 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 39
Rebs: Tim Duncan 14
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 6
San Antonio leads series, 3–2
May 19
7:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 98, Seattle SuperSonics 96
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 32–22, 20–26, 26–23
7 Pts: Ray Allen 25
Rebs: Reggie Evans 9
Asts: Antonio Daniels 5
San Antonio wins series, 4–2
  • Tim Duncan made the series-winning shot with 0.5 seconds left in Game 6.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first two meetings.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

(1) Miami Heat vs. (2) Detroit Pistons

May 23
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 90, Miami Heat 81
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 20–18, 30–24, 16–14
7 Pts: Eddie Jones 22
Rebs: Eddie Jones 8
Asts: Damon Jones 5
Detroit leads series, 1–0
May 25
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 86, Miami Heat 92
Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 13–23, 27–15, 23–30
6 Pts: Dwyane Wade 40
Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 6
Series tied, 1–1
May 29
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 113, Detroit Pistons 104
Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 31–27, 26–24, 34–29
5 each Pts: Richard Hamilton 33
Rebs: Rasheed Wallace 8
Asts: Richard Hamilton 5
Miami leads series, 2–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dan Crawford, Greg Willard, Joe Forte
May 31
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 96, Detroit Pistons 106
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 25–35, 23–19, 27–27
6 Pts: Richard Hamilton 28
Rebs: Ben Wallace 15
Asts: Richard Hamilton 8
Series tied, 2–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Jack Nies, Joe Crawford
June 2
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 76, Miami Heat 88
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 13–25, 21–20, 16–15
5 Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 20
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 13
Asts: Damon Jones 6
Miami leads series, 3–2
June 4
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 66, Detroit Pistons 91
Scoring by quarter: 16–17, 16–27, 13–24, 21–23
6 Pts: Richard Hamilton 24
Rebs: Prince, R. Wallace 9 each
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Series tied, 3–3
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bernie Fryer, Dan Crawford
June 6
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 88, Miami Heat 82
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 24–17, 19–26, 24–16
8 Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 27
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Detroit wins series, 4–3

The Pistons beat the Heat in this series 4-3 due much to the comeback mounted in the 4th quarter of Game 7 of the Eastern Finals by Chauncey Billups. Dwyane Wade also missed Game 6 of the series due to a rib injury.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.

Western Conference finals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs

May 22
12:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 121, Phoenix Suns 114
Scoring by quarter: 30–20, 25–29, 23–33, 43–32
5 Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 41
Rebs: Marion, Stoudemire 9 each
Asts: Steve Nash 13
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
May 24
6:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 111, Phoenix Suns 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–21, 22–33, 27–31, 31–23
5 Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 37
Rebs: Shawn Marion 12
Asts: Steve Nash 15
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
May 28
8:00 pm
Phoenix Suns 92, San Antonio Spurs 102
Scoring by quarter: 29–38, 10–18, 24–24, 29–22
3 each Pts: Tim Duncan 33
Rebs: Tim Duncan 15
Asts: Tony Parker 7
San Antonio leads series, 3–0
May 30
7:30 pm
Phoenix Suns 111, San Antonio Spurs 106
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 26–36, 35–21, 24–26
12 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 28
Rebs: Tim Duncan 16
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
San Antonio leads series, 3–1
June 1
6:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 101, Phoenix Suns 95
Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 25–26, 29–20, 23–25
6 Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 42
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 16
Asts: Steve Nash 10
San Antonio wins series, 4–1

This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning three series apiece.

NBA Finals: (W2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (E2) Detroit Pistons

All times are in
UTC−4
)
June 9
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 69, San Antonio Spurs 84
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 17–18, 14–20, 18–29
6 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 26
Rebs: Tim Duncan 17
Asts: Horry, Parker 3 each
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
June 12
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 76, San Antonio Spurs 97
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 23–28, 21–21, 13–18
4 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
June 14
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 79, Detroit Pistons 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–21, 15–20, 23–29, 14–26
4 each Pts: Richard Hamilton 24
Rebs: Ben Wallace 11
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bob Delaney, Joe Crawford
June 16
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 71, Detroit Pistons 102
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 19–28, 21–23, 14–28
4 each Pts: Billups, Hunter 17 each
Rebs: Ben Wallace 13
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
Series tied, 2–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Dick Bavetta, Eddie F. Rush, Joe DeRosa
June 19
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 96, Detroit Pistons 95 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 21–19, 22–21, 25–26Overtime: 7–6
9 Pts: Chauncey Billups 34
Rebs: Ben Wallace 12
Asts: Chauncey Billups 7
San Antonio leads series, 3–2
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie
June 21
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 95, San Antonio Spurs 86
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 23–24, 25–20, 24–19
6 Pts: Duncan, Ginóbili 21 each
Rebs: Tim Duncan 15
Asts: Tony Parker 5
Series tied, 3–3
June 23
8:00 pm
Detroit Pistons 74, San Antonio Spurs 81
Scoring by quarter: 16–18, 23–20, 18–19, 17–24
8 Pts: Tim Duncan 25
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 4
San Antonio wins series, 4–3

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Spurs.[15]

  • Robert Horry hit the game-winning shot with 5.9 seconds left in Game 5.

The Finals were broadcast in the United States on ABC and in Canada on TSN. For a list of international broadcasters see the NBA international TV site.

Get Right
" music video became the anthem song for the playoffs and the conclusion song at the end of the regular season.

Statistical leaders

Category Game High Average
Player Team High Player Team Avg. GP
Points
Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 48 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 31.2 5
Rebounds Jeff Foster Indiana Pacers 20 Samuel Dalembert Philadelphia 76ers 12.8 5
Assists Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 17 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 11.3 15
Steals Gilbert Arenas Washington Wizards 6 Andre Iguodala Philadelphia 76ers 2.8 5
Blocks Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons 7 Marcus Camby Denver Nuggets 3.2 5

See also

  • NBA records

References

  1. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Brooklyn Nets versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  2. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  3. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  4. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  5. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  6. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  7. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  8. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  9. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  10. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Phoenix Suns (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  13. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  14. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  15. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.

External links