2012 NBA playoffs

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2012 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 28–June 21, 2012
Season2011–12
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsMiami Heat (2nd title)
Runner-upOklahoma City Thunder
Semifinalists
← 2011
2013 →

The 2012 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the

NBA Finals MVP
.

Overview

Western conference

The Los Angeles Clippers made the playoffs for the first time since 2006, while the Utah Jazz returned after a one-year hiatus. It was also Utah's first postseason appearance without Jerry Sloan as head coach since 1988. Ironically, both teams would be swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs entered their fifteenth consecutive postseason, continuing the longest active playoff streak at the time.

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks entered their twelfth consecutive postseason, the second longest active playoff streak in the Western Conference.

The Memphis Grizzlies earned home–court advantage for the first time in franchise history.

Eastern conference

All eight teams were the same from 2011. They also all had records over .500, the first time since 2005.

The

Amway Center. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat opened their NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks just 15 days after a drunk driver caused a devastating crash in southwest Miami-Dade County, just 18 miles from where they play their games at American Airlines Arena
.

The Indiana Pacers opened the playoffs at home for the first time since 2004.

The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers entered their second consecutive postseason.

First round

For the first time since

2000, the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks met in the postseason, reigniting the Heat–Knicks rivalry
.

For the fourth time since 2006, a division winner (in this case the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics) opened the playoffs on the road. Despite not having home court advantage, the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games. The Hawks would not open the playoffs at home again until 2015.

Game 1 of the Bulls–Sixers series was extremely notable as Derrick Rose tore his ACL in the waning minutes of the Bulls’ 103–91 victory.

With their Game 3 loss to the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks lost their 13th straight playoff game, breaking Memphis' record from 2004 to 2006 for the longest playoff losing streak. However, they broke that streak with a Game 4 victory against The Heat at Madison Square Garden.

With their Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions

Philadelphia Warriors in 1957 and Miami Heat in 2007, and second after Miami to be done so in a seven-game series. It was the first time the Mavericks were swept in a seven-game series, and only their second sweep since 1990
.

With their Game 5 win against the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat beat their arch rivals in a playoff series for the first time since

1997. During the series, however, the Knicks lost Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert
to knee injuries.

With their Game 5 win against the Orlando Magic, the Indiana Pacers won their first playoff series since 2005. The Magic would not return to the postseason until 2019.

With their Game 6 win over the Chicago Bulls, the eighth–seeded Philadelphia 76ers became only the 5th eighth seeded team in NBA history to beat a top seed in the first round. Following the Grizzlies' 2011 upset of the 1st–seeded Spurs, this marked the first time in straight seasons an 8th–seed upset a #1 seed. In addition to losing Rose, the Bulls also lost Joakim Noah to injury during the series. This was the most recent occurrence of an eighth seed eliminating a top seed in the first round of the playoffs until 2023, when the eighth-seeded Miami Heat knocked out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.

Game 7 of the Lakers–Nuggets series ensured a 13th straight postseason with at least one Game 7 played. The last without one was the 1999 NBA playoffs.

With their Game 7 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Clippers won their first playoff series since 2006.

Conference semifinals

During their conference semifinals series against the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat lost Chris Bosh to injury (although he would return in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals). As a result, the Heat fell behind two games to one before reeling off three straight wins to beat the Pacers in six games.

For the first time since 1999, back to backs were played in the conference semifinals, thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers sharing the same arena to avoid scheduling conflicts. It also marked the first time both Los Angeles teams appeared in the Conference Semifinals in the same season. As of 2023, this was the most recent occurrence of back to backs being played in the same postseason.

With their Game 4 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, the San Antonio Spurs became the fourth team in NBA History (and first in the Western Conference) to go 8–0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Heat in 2005, Cavs in 2009 and Magic in 2010, also went 8–0 through the first two rounds. In addition, all 3 lost Game 1 of their Conference Finals. The Spurs broke this trend with a Game 1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Game 5 of the Lakers-Thunder series was Kobe Bryant's final NBA playoff game. In addition, this was also his final NBA Playoff appearance before his retirement in 2016.

With their Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics returned to the Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons. With the loss, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered the same fate as last season's Memphis Grizzlies by beating a top seed, taking their fourth seed opponent to a Game 7, only to lose on the road. The 76ers would not return to the playoffs until 2018.

Conference finals

For the third consecutive season, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics met in the postseason.

With their Game 2 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs won 20 straight games. As a result, they set an NBA record for the longest winning streak carried over from the regular season to the playoffs, which was broken with the Game 3 loss, and finished a win short of tying the longest unbeaten playoff run in a single postseason.[1]

Game 5 of the Heat-Celtics series was notable for the return of Chris Bosh and the Boston Celtics overcoming a 2–0 series deficit to take a 3–2 lead going back to Boston. However, the Miami Heat would force a

Game 7 thanks to LeBron James’ 45 point Game 6 performance in the Miami Heat's 98–79 win at TD Garden
.

With a Game 6 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1996 (when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics). The Spurs, on the other hand, lost the series 4–2 despite leading 2–0.

With a Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics, the Miami Heat returned to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. It marked the first time a LeBron James-led team beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series despite trailing 3–2. With the loss, this was the second time that the Celtics lost a playoff series despite leading 3–2. The Celtics would not win another playoff series, let alone return to the conference finals, until

2017
.

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was Ray Allen's last game as a member of the Boston Celtics, effectively ending their “Big 3 era,” which began in 2007.

NBA finals

The 2012 NBA Finals had several noteworthy events.

For the first time since 1998, no team from California or Texas represented the western conference in the NBA Finals. Ironically, the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the last three Western Conference finalists: the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the San Antonio Spurs, all in sequential order.

For the first time in franchise history, the Miami Heat faced a team other than the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals was the first NBA Finals game ever played in the State of Oklahoma. The Thunder won this game 105–94.

With a Game 5 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Miami Heat won their second NBA championship. By winning the 2012 NBA Finals, the Heat became the second team to win the NBA Finals by overcoming three series deficits (2–1 in the conference semifinals, 3–2 in the conference finals, and 0–1 in the finals) in the same playoffs. The last team to accomplish this feat was the 1995 Houston Rockets. It was also the third (and final time) under the 2–3–2 format that the home team won the middle three games of the NBA Finals.

Connection with NBA lockout

In May 2012, with the Bulls, Knicks, and Heat losing players to injuries, then-Commissioner David Stern initially said there was no connection between the injuries and the lockout that compressed the regular season to 66-game in 124 days; however, he later backed off those comments, saying more research was needed.[2][3]

Format

The 6 division winners and 10 other teams with the most wins from each conference qualified for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record; however, a division winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of record.

Tiebreak procedures

The tiebreakers that determine seedings are:

  1. Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
  2. Head-to-head record
  3. Division record (if all the tied teams are in the same division)
  4. Conference record
  5. Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
  6. Record vs. playoff teams, other conference (only in 2-way tie)
  7. Point differential, all games

If there were more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams were "re-broken" from the first step until all ties were resolved. Since the three division winners were guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners had to be broken before any other ties.[4]

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Chicago Bulls 58-24 March 24 April 12 April 24 April 26
2 Miami Heat 54-28 April 3 April 15
3 Indiana Pacers 50-32 April 13
4
Atlanta Hawks
48-34 April 16
5 Boston Celtics 47-35 April 14 April 18
6 Orlando Magic 45-37 April 15
7 New York Knicks 44-38 April 23
8 Philadelphia 76ers 43-39 April 19

— = Did not achieve

Western Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
Best record
in NBA
1 San Antonio Spurs 58-24 March 24 April 14 April 23
2 Oklahoma City Thunder 55-27 April 1 April 7
3 Los Angeles Lakers 49-33[a] April 15 April 24
4 Memphis Grizzlies 49-33[a] April 18
5 Los Angeles Clippers 48-34 April 16
6 Denver Nuggets 46-36 April 18
7 Dallas Mavericks 44-38[b] April 19
8 Utah Jazz 44-38[b] April 22

— = Did not achieve

Notes

  1. ^ a b Los Angeles Lakers clinched #3 seed over Memphis Grizzlies based on winning Pacific Division.
  2. ^ a b Dallas Mavericks clinched #7 seed over Utah Jazz based on 3–1 regular season series record.

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage belongs to the team with the better regular season record, regardless of seed. (If two teams with the same record meet in a round, the tiebreakers used are head-to-head and record vs. opposite conference.) Teams with home court advantage are shown in italics in the chart below.

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Chicago* 2
E8 Philadelphia 4
E8 Philadelphia 3
E5 Boston* 4
E4 Atlanta 2
E5 Boston* 4
E5 Boston* 3
Eastern Conference
E2 Miami* 4
E3 Indiana 4
E6 Orlando 1
E3 Indiana 2
E2 Miami* 4
E2 Miami* 4
E7 New York 1
E2 Miami* 4
W2 Oklahoma City* 1
W1 San Antonio* 4
W8 Utah 0
W1 San Antonio* 4
W5 LA Clippers 0
W4 Memphis 3
W5 LA Clippers 4
W1 San Antonio* 2
Western Conference
W2 Oklahoma City* 4
W3 LA Lakers* 4
W6 Denver 3
W3 LA Lakers* 1
W2 Oklahoma City* 4
W2 Oklahoma City* 4
W7 Dallas 0
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

All times are in
UTC−4
)

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

April 28
1:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Chicago Bulls 103
Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 18–25, 24–26, 25–24
5 each Pts: Derrick Rose 23
Rebs: Joakim Noah 13
Asts: Derrick Rose 9
Chicago leads series, 1–0
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 21,943
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,
May 1
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 109, Chicago Bulls 92
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 22–27, 36–14, 26–23
6 each Pts: Joakim Noah 21
Rebs: Joakim Noah 8
Asts: Hamilton, Noah 5 each
Series tied, 1–1
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,067
Referees: Greg Willard, Courtney Kirkland, Rodney Mott,
May 4
8:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 74, Philadelphia 76ers 79
Scoring by quarter: 20–19, 19–21, 21–11, 14–28
7 Pts: Spencer Hawes 21
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 11
Asts: Jrue Holiday 6
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1
Joe Crawford
, Tony Brothers, Eric Lewis,
May 6
1:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 82, Philadelphia 76ers 89
Scoring by quarter: 15–24, 27–20, 21–20, 19–25
4 each Pts: Spencer Hawes 22
Rebs: Andre Iguodala 12
Asts: Jrue Holiday 6
Philadelphia leads series, 3–1
May 8
9:30 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 69, Chicago Bulls 77
Scoring by quarter: 16–17, 10–18, 22–22, 21–20
4 Pts: Luol Deng 24
Rebs: Carlos Boozer 13
Asts: C. J. Watson 7
Philadelphia leads series, 3–2
United Center, Chicago
Attendance: 22,093
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, Leon Wood,
May 10
7:00 pm
Chicago Bulls 78, Philadelphia 76ers 79
Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 18–24, 23–15, 15–16
10 Pts: Andre Iguodala 20
Rebs: Spencer Hawes 10
Asts: Andre Iguodala 7
Philadelphia wins series, 4–2
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 20,362
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright,

The Bulls came into the playoffs as the first overall seed for the second straight year. The 76ers, meanwhile, came into the playoffs as the team with the worst record in the playoffs. The Bulls made quick work of the 76ers, winning Game 1. However, with the Bulls leading by 12 with 1:20 to go in the fourth, Derrick Rose tore his ACL and he was ruled out for the playoffs, putting the Bulls championship hopes in serious jeopardy. The 76ers took the next three games to put the Bulls in the brink of elimination. In Game 3, Joakim Noah was injured when he stepped on Andre Iguodala's foot, ruling him out for the next two games. The Bulls staved off elimination by winning Game 5 at home. In Game 6, with the Bulls up 1 with 7 seconds to go, Ömer Aşık missed two crucial free-throws. Iguodala managed to rebound the ball and sprinted to the other side of the court. He got fouled by Aşık while going for a shot. Iguodala gave the 76ers the lead by making the free-throws. The Bulls, who were out of timeouts, had one last chance to force a Game 7 but C. J. Watson's halfcourt heave bounced off the back of the rim, giving the 76ers the series. They advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2003. The Bulls, meanwhile, became the fifth first-seeded team to be upset by the eighth-seed.

Regular-season series

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

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks

April 28
3:30 pm
New York Knicks 67, Miami Heat 100
Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 13–30, 16–27, 20–19
3 Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8
Asts: Mario Chalmers 9
Miami leads series, 1–0
Dan Crawford
, Ed Malloy, Gary Zielinski,
April 30
7:00 pm
New York Knicks 94, Miami Heat 104
Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 23–26, 22–25, 25–26
6 Pts: Dwyane Wade 25
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 8
Asts: LeBron James 9
Miami leads series, 2–0
May 3
7:00 pm
Miami Heat 87, New York Knicks 70
Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 17–21, 22–16, 29–14
5 Pts: Carmelo Anthony 22
Rebs: Tyson Chandler 15
Asts: Baron Davis 3
Miami leads series, 3–0
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Eddie F. Rush,
May 6
3:30 pm
Miami Heat 87, New York Knicks 89
Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 26–18, 17–26, 26–25
6 Pts: Carmelo Anthony 41
Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 10
Asts: Anthony, Smith 4 each
Miami leads series, 3–1
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Collins, Tom Washington,
May 9
7:00 pm
New York Knicks 94, Miami Heat 106
Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 20–27, 23–26, 27–25
6 Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 7
Miami wins series, 4–1

The Heat defeated the Knicks in Game 1 by 33 points. Game 2 was much closer, even without Knicks' starting rookie guard Iman Shumpert who suffered an ACL injury the previous game, but the Heat still won by 10. In Game 3 in MSG, the Heat found themselves on the wrong end in the first half, trailing by as much as 11 points, before closing the half with a 7–0 run. The Heat led by 2 after the 3rd quarter. However, LeBron James quickly sparked an 8–0 run to start the 4th quarter, giving them a 10-point lead. The Knicks never recovered. James himself outscored the Knicks in the fourth, 17–14. By losing Game 3, the Knicks set a new league record by losing 13 straight playoff games, their last win coming April 29, 2001, in their series versus the Raptors.[6] In Game 4, Knicks' starting guard Baron Davis injured himself in the third quarter and had to be carried off the court on a stretcher. But led by Carmelo Anthony's 41, the Knicks won 89–87, escaping a sweep as Wade's potential series-winning 3 missed at the buzzer. In Game 5, the Knicks started strong but Miami took over the rest of the way. The Heat led by 11 at the end of the first half. The Heat never squandered the lead, effectively sealing the game and the series with a 3-pointer by Battier that gave the Heat a 14-point lead with a minute left in the game. The Knicks were led by Anthony's 35. Amar'e Stoudemire, meanwhile, was plagued by foul trouble. He fouled out with about 4 minutes left in the game.

Regular-season series

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

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic

April 28
7:00 pm
Orlando Magic 81, Indiana Pacers 77
Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 30–22, 13–19, 17–14
9 Pts: David West 19
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 13
Asts: Darren Collison 5
Orlando leads series, 1–0
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Jones, Leon Wood
,
April 30
7:30 pm
Orlando Magic 78, Indiana Pacers 93
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 23–18, 13–30, 21–21
3 each Pts: Granger, Hill, West 18 each
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 13
Asts: David West 4
Series tied, 1–1
May 2
7:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 97, Orlando Magic 74
Scoring by quarter: 23–14, 21–24, 32–17, 21–19
4 Pts: Glen Davis 22
Rebs: Quentin Richardson 10
Asts: Jameer Nelson 5
Indiana leads series, 2–1
May 5
2:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 101, Orlando Magic 99 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 24–25, 27–17, 16–28Overtime: 12–10
9 Pts: Jason Richardson 25
Rebs: Glen Davis 11
Asts: Jameer Nelson 11
Indiana leads series, 3–1
Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 18,846
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy, Violet Palmer
,
May 8
7:00 pm
Orlando Magic 87, Indiana Pacers 105
Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 28–22, 24–19, 16–36
5 Pts: Danny Granger 25
Rebs: David West 8
Asts: Darren Collison 6
Indiana wins series, 4–1
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Monty McCutchen
, Marc Davis, David Guthrie,

The Pacers were considered the heavy favorites in the series as the Magic would try to defeat the Pacers without Dwight Howard. The Magic defied the odds in Game 1, as the Pacers went scoreless in the final 4 minutes of the game, allowing the Magic to go on an 11–0 run to finish the game and take a 1–0 series lead. The Pacers quickly took revenge, winning the next two games at home and on the road by an average of 19 points. Game 4 was close, with the game going to overtime. However, George Hill hit two free-throws with 2 seconds left to give the Pacers a 3–1 lead in the series. Game 5 was close throughout the first three quarters, with Magic taking a two-point lead heading to the 4th quarter. However, Indiana outscored the Magic 36–16 in the fourth to give the Pacers the series victory 4–1. This would be last playoff appearance for the Magic until 2019.

Regular-season series

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

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Boston Celtics

April 29
7:00 pm
Boston Celtics 74, Atlanta Hawks 83
Scoring by quarter: 18–31, 17–18, 18–16, 21–18
11 Pts: Josh Smith 22
Rebs: Josh Smith 18
Asts: Joe Johnson 5
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
May 1
7:30 pm
Boston Celtics 87, Atlanta Hawks 80
Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 17–20, 20–22, 26–14
5 Pts: Joe Johnson 22
Rebs: Josh Smith 12
Asts: Johnson, Smith 5 each
Series tied, 1–1
May 4
7:30 pm
Atlanta Hawks 84, Boston Celtics 90 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 19–17, 19–23, 20–20, 22–20, Overtime: 4–10
Jeff Teague
6
Pts: Paul Pierce 21
Rebs: Rajon Rondo 14
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Boston leads series, 2–1
May 6
7:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 79, Boston Celtics 101
Scoring by quarter: 19–32, 22–32, 22–26, 16–11
5 Pts: Paul Pierce 24
Rebs: Allen, Bass, Garnett 5 each
Asts: Rajon Rondo 16
Boston leads series, 3–1
Joe Crawford
, Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher,
May 8
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 86, Atlanta Hawks 87
Scoring by quarter: 21–15, 19–25, 24–26, 22–21
12 Pts: Al Horford 19
Rebs: Josh Smith 16
Asts: Josh Smith 6
Boston leads series, 3–2
Dan Crawford
, David Jones, Tom Washington,
May 10
8:00 pm
Atlanta Hawks 80, Boston Celtics 83
Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 18–27, 22–20, 17–16
Jeff Teague
6
Pts: Kevin Garnett 28
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 14
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
Boston wins series, 4–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis,

The Hawks had homecourt advantage for the series despite being the lower seeded team by having the better season-record of the two; the Celtics took the 4th-seed by winning their division title. The Hawks won Game 1 by nine points, but the Celtics took the next three games, pushing the Hawks to the brink of elimination. Games 2 and 3 were close victories for the Celtics with Game 4 being a blowout victory for them. Game 5 in Atlanta was a close one. In the final seconds, with the Hawks up by one,

Jeff Teague
fumbled a pass, sealing the series for Boston.

Regular-season series

This was the 11th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning nine of the first ten meetings.

Western Conference first round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz

April 29
1:00 pm
Utah Jazz 91, San Antonio Spurs 106
Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 25–26, 23–31, 21–21
5 Pts: Tony Parker 28
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Tony Parker 8
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Dick Bavetta, Rodney Mott
,
May 2
7:00 pm
Utah Jazz 83, San Antonio Spurs 114
Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 11–25, 25–34, 30–27
Enes Kanter 10
Asts: Gordon Hayward
4
Pts: Tony Parker 18
Rebs: Tim Duncan 13
Asts: Tony Parker 9
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
May 5
10:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 102, Utah Jazz 90
Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 22–22, 23–18, 27–22
10 Pts: Harris, Jefferson 21 each
Rebs: Favors, Jefferson, Millsap 11 each
Asts: Harris, Hayward 5 each
San Antonio leads series, 3–0
EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Leon Wood
,
May 7
8:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 87, Utah Jazz 81
Scoring by quarter: 22–19, 28–23, 18–16, 19–23
3 Pts: Al Jefferson 26
Rebs: Paul Millsap 19
Asts: Devin Harris 7
San Antonio wins series, 4–0

The Spurs were touted the heavy favorites in the series, following their 10-game winning streak to end the regular season and their 3–1 season series victory over the Jazz. They quickly worked their way through the Jazz, scoring 31 points in the third quarter to blow the game open. They eventually won Game 1 106–91. In Game 2, the Spurs shot 10 three-pointers and shot more than 50% as they blew out the Jazz 114–83 to take a 2–0 series lead. Game 3 was close throughout the first half, with the Spurs leading only by 2 after the first half. However, the Spurs blew the game open in the second half and won by 12 to take a 3–0 lead in the series. The odds were stacked against the Jazz as no team in NBA history have managed to win a series after trailing 3–0. Notably, before Game 4 had even been played, Jazz forward Al Jefferson commented that he didn't think any team would defeat the Spurs[10] In Game 4, it seemed like the Spurs would complete the sweep when they had a 21-point lead. However, the Jazz eventually cut the lead to just 4 with 49.4 seconds left in the fourth. However, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili eventually sealed the series by stealing the ball and scoring on a basket respectively. The Spurs eventually completed the sweep, winning Game 4 by 6.

Regular-season series

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

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

April 28
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 98, Oklahoma City Thunder 99
Scoring by quarter: 26–22, 25–26, 22–21, 25–30
5 each Pts: Russell Westbrook 28
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 5
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Joe Crawford
, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie,
April 30
9:30 pm
Dallas Mavericks 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 102
Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 26–25, 27–22, 22–23
7 Pts: Russell Westbrook 29
Rebs: Kevin Durant 10
Asts: James Harden 5
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Capers, Zach Zarba
,
May 3
9:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 95, Dallas Mavericks 79
Scoring by quarter: 32–26, 18–15, 25–16, 20–22
6 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 17
Rebs: Shawn Marion 10
Asts: Jason Terry 6
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,640
Referees: Greg Willard, Marc Davis, David Jones,
May 5
7:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Dallas Mavericks 97
Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 21–23, 21–34, 35–16
6 Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 34
Rebs: Vince Carter 8
Asts: Jason Kidd 8
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–0
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,533
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Spooner, Sean Wright,

The Mavericks came into the playoffs only as the 7th-seed, one of the lowest placements for a defending champion. Game 1 was a very close affair, with both teams going back and forth in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. However, Kevin Durant scored on a one-handed jumper with just about 1 second remaining. The Mavs still tried to win but Shawn Marion failed to get a shot off at the buzzer, giving the Thunder a one-point victory and a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 was also a close one but the Thunder held on and managed to squeak a 102–99 win and 2–0 series lead over the defending champs. In Game 3, the Mavs were no match for the Thunder, with the Thunder eventually blowing out the defending champs 95–79 to send the Mavs into the brink of a sweep. In Game 4, it looked as if the Mavs would stave off elimination when they led by 13 at the end of the third quarter. However, the Thunder outscored the Mavs 35–16 in the fourth and held on for a 103–97 victory over the Mavs. Following the sweep, the Mavs became just the 3rd defending champion to be swept in the first round.

Regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mavericks winning two of the first three meetings.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets

April 29
3:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 88, Los Angeles Lakers 103
Scoring by quarter: 14–27, 26–23, 24–27, 24–26
7 Pts: Kobe Bryant 31
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 13
Asts: Pau Gasol 8
LA Lakers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson
,
May 1
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 100, Los Angeles Lakers 104
Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 23–23, 26–26, 26–23
8 Pts: Kobe Bryant 38
Rebs: Hill, Gasol 10 each
Asts: Pau Gasol 5
LA Lakers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Monty McCutchen
, Pat Fraher, Tom Washington,
May 4
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 84, Denver Nuggets 99
Scoring by quarter: 14–30, 25–25, 26–17, 19–27
6 each Pts: Ty Lawson 25
Rebs: Faried, McGee 15 each
Asts: Ty Lawson 7
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
Dan Crawford
, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,
May 6
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 92, Denver Nuggets 88
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 19–23, 25–20, 22–17
6 each Pts: Danilo Gallinari 20
Rebs: Faried, Miller 7 each
Asts: Ty Lawson 6
LA Lakers lead series, 3–1
May 8
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 102, Los Angeles Lakers 99
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 23–20, 27–22, 26–34
8 each Pts: Kobe Bryant 43
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 11
Asts: Ramon Sessions 6
LA Lakers lead series, 3–2
Joe Crawford, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba
,
May 10
10:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 96, Denver Nuggets 113
Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 25–24, 23–36, 28–23
4 Pts: Ty Lawson 32
Rebs: Kenneth Faried 11
Asts: Afflalo, Gallinari 7 each
Series tied, 3–3
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 19,770
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott
,
May 12
10:30 pm
Denver Nuggets 87, Los Angeles Lakers 96
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 18–23, 26–21, 19–27
8 Pts: Pau Gasol 23
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 18
Asts: Kobe Bryant 8
LA Lakers win series, 4–3
Staples Center
, Los Angeles
Attendance: 18,997
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan, Bill Spooner,

The Lakers won the opening game 103–88 after

Metta World Peace scored 15 points, while Bryant had 17 points, and 8 assists.[15]

Regular-season series

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first five meetings.

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

April 29
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 99, Memphis Grizzlies 98
Scoring by quarter: 16–34, 23–24, 25–27, 35–13
11 Pts: Rudy Gay 19
Rebs: Marreese Speights 9
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 8
LA Clippers lead series, 1–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Greg Willard, Eric Lewis, Tom Washington,
May 2
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 98, Memphis Grizzlies 105
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 21–28, 22–24, 29–30
6 Pts: Rudy Gay 21
Rebs: Zach Randolph 8
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 6
Series tied, 1–1
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright,
May 5
4:30 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 86, Los Angeles Clippers 87
Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 24–27, 25–14, 15–23
8 Pts: Chris Paul 24
Rebs: Reggie Evans 11
Asts: Chris Paul 11
LA Clippers lead series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,060
Referees: Derrick Stafford, John Goble, Rodney Mott
,
May 7
10:30 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 97, Los Angeles Clippers 101 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 19–19, 19–18, 23–18, Overtime: 10–14
8 Pts: Blake Griffin 30
Rebs: Chris Paul 9
Asts: Griffin, Paul 7 each
LA Clippers lead series, 3–1
Staples Center
, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,167
Referees: Mike Callahan, James Capers, Scott Wall,
May 9
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 80, Memphis Grizzlies 92
Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 20–21, 23–20, 15–15
4 Pts: Marc Gasol 23
Rebs: Zach Randolph 10
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 6
LA Clippers lead series, 3–2
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Spooner, Gary Zielinski,
May 11
9:00 pm
Memphis Grizzlies 90, Los Angeles Clippers 88
Scoring by quarter: 25–16, 17–22, 24–28, 24–22
9 Pts: Blake Griffin 15
Rebs: Reggie Evans 10
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Series tied, 3–3
Dan Crawford
, Marc Davis, Jason Phillips,
May 13
1:00 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 82, Memphis Grizzlies 72
Scoring by quarter: 16–13, 23–25, 16–18, 27–16
4 Pts: Gasol, Gay 19 each
Rebs: Zach Randolph 12
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 5
LA Clippers win series, 4–3
Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Monty McCutchen
,

The Clippers rallied to win Game 1 in one of the largest comebacks in playoff history. Trailing by as many as 27, and down 95–71 with 9:13 left, the Clippers held the Grizzlies to just one field goal the rest of the game and pulled off an improbable 99–98 victory before a stunned, sold-out crowd of 18,119 at FedExForum.[17] In Game 2, the Grizzlies avenged their embarrassing Game 1 loss by winning a close Game 2 to even the series going to Los Angeles. In Game 3, the Clippers survived a late Grizzlies rally in the final minute as Rudy Gay's 3 missed at the buzzer to give the Clippers an 87–86 victory and a 2–1 series lead. Game 4 was close, with the game going to overtime. With Chris Paul's heroics, the Clippers managed to win Game 4 and take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Back at home for Game 5, the Grizzlies tried to stave off elimination, at one point taking a 24-point lead in the third before the Clippers cut the lead again. However, the Grizzlies made sure there would be no collapse, using a 7–1 run in the final 1:44 to win Game 5 92–80. Facing elimination on the road, the Grizzlies gathered themselves, storming back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit to win Game 6 90–88, to force a decisive Game 7. In Game 7, the Clipper bench outscored their Grizzlies counterparts, 41–11, and it was enough as the Clippers won on the road, becoming the 6th NBA road team to do so after leading series 3–1, to advance to the semifinals against the Spurs.

Regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Clippers and the Grizzlies.[18]

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

(2) Miami Heat vs. (3) Indiana Pacers

May 13
3:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 86, Miami Heat 95
Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 25–22, 22–28, 16–25
6 Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: LeBron James 15
Asts: LeBron James 5
Miami leads series, 1–0
May 15
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 78, Miami Heat 75
Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 16–17, 28–14, 17–23
3 Pts: LeBron James 28
Rebs: LeBron James 9
Asts: LeBron James 5
Series tied, 1–1
May 17
7:00 pm
Miami Heat 75, Indiana Pacers 94
Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 17–26, 12–26, 20–25
5 Pts: George Hill 20
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 18
Asts: George Hill 5
Indiana leads series, 2–1
Dan Crawford
, Tony Brothers, John Goble
May 20
3:30 pm
Miami Heat 101, Indiana Pacers 93
Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 28–29, 30–16, 25–23
9 Pts: Danny Granger 20
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 9
Asts: Paul George 5
Series tied, 2–2
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Monty McCutchen
, Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy
May 22
8:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 83, Miami Heat 115
Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 20–23, 17–27, 26–39
3 Pts: LeBron James 30
Rebs: Mario Chalmers 11
Asts: LeBron James 8
Miami leads series, 3–2
May 24
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 105, Indiana Pacers 93
Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 30–25, 28–16, 26–24
7 Pts: David West 24
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: George Hill 5
Miami wins series, 4–2
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Ken Mauer
,

Even though the Heat won the regular season series, 3–1, this playoff series was expected to be a close one. In Game 1, the Heat took a major blow when Chris Bosh got injured in the first half. He was expected to be out for the rest of the series. However, James and Wade took over in the second half to give the Heat the win, 95–86. In Game 2, the Heat started strong, at one point taking a 9-point lead. The Pacers answered that by outscoring the Heat 28–14 in the third quarter to take an 11-point lead going to the fourth quarter. The Heat would come back, taking a 72–71 lead with 4:11 to go. However, with James and Wade missing key chances, the Pacers tied the series with a 78–75 win. Game 3 marked one of the worst playoff games for Wade, as he scored just 5 points on 2-of-13 shooting. Without Wade's contribution, the Heat found themselves down in the series 2–1 as the Pacers blew out the Heat, 94–75. Before Game 4, the Heat regrouped and refocused on the series. The result was a 101–93 victory over the Pacers in Game 4 to tie the series at 2–2. James scored 40 in the game, to go along with 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Wade recovered from his Game 3 performance by scoring 30. In Game 5, it was the Pacers who took the major blow when Danny Granger got injured in the second quarter by stepping on James's foot. He tried to come back in the third quarter but he aggravated his injury after fouling James. Then, after the third period, West left the game with a knee injury. Without Granger and West, the Pacers were unable to stop the Heat, as the Heat won 115–83 to take a 3–2 series lead, putting them a win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 6, West and Granger started for the Pacers despite their injuries. The Pacers started strong, even taking a 19–8 lead in the first quarter. However, the third quarter was decisive, with the Heat outscoring the Pacers 28–16 to take a 79–69 lead going to the fourth quarter. Led by Wade's 41 and James's 28, the Heat won three straight, 105–93, to take the series, 4–2.

Regular-season series

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

(5) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

May 12
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 91, Boston Celtics 92
Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 19–24, 24–25, 20–25
6 Pts: Kevin Garnett 29
Rebs: Rajon Rondo 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 17
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Greg Willard, James Capers, David Jones,
May 14
7:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 82, Boston Celtics 81
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 15–13, 21–11, 25–32
7 Pts: Ray Allen 17
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 13
Series tied, 1–1
Dan Crawford
, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith,
May 16
7:00 pm
Boston Celtics 107, Philadelphia 76ers 91
Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 32–16, 29–17, 18–25
14 Pts: Thaddeus Young 22
Rebs: Evan Turner 8
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Boston leads series, 2–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 20,351
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Mike Callahan, Eric Lewis,
May 18
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 83, Philadelphia 76ers 92
Scoring by quarter: 24–12, 22–19, 17–28, 20–33
15 Pts: Iguodala, Turner 16 each
Rebs: Lavoy Allen 10
Asts: Louis Williams 8
Series tied, 2–2
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Attendance: 20,411
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner,
May 21
7:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 85, Boston Celtics 101
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 23–24, 16–28, 19–26
7 Pts: Brandon Bass 27
Rebs: Bass, Garnett 6 each
Asts: Rajon Rondo 14
Boston leads series, 3–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott,
May 23
8:00 pm
Boston Celtics 75, Philadelphia 76ers 82
Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 17–11, 20–27, 19–22
6 Pts: Jrue Holiday 20
Rebs: Elton Brand 10
Asts: Holiday, Williams 6 each
Series tied, 3–3
Joe Crawford, James Capers, Ron Garretson
,
May 26
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 75, Boston Celtics 85
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 13–21, 19–14, 23–30
9 Pts: Garnett, Rondo 18 each
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 13
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10
Boston wins series, 4–3
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, Mike Callahan,

The Sixers came off fresh of an upset over the injury-laden Bulls. Both the Celtics and the Sixers clinched their first round series on the same day. In Game 1, Rondo had another triple-double, but the Sixers held a 10-point lead with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Celtics eventually came back, winning Game 1 by a point to take a 1–0 series lead. On the final possession, the Sixers were unable to foul a speedy Rondo, who dribbled out the clock. Game 2 saw the visitors lead for most of the game. With the Sixers leading 78–75 with 12 seconds to go, the Celtics squandered a chance to tie the game, as Garnett was called for an offensive foul. The Sixers then hit their final four free-throws to tie the series at 1 going back to Philadelphia. In Game 3, the Sixers held their last lead with 9:09 left in the second quarter as the Celtics took over the rest of the game to lead them to a 2–1 series advantage. In Game 4, the Celtics led by as much as 18 in the third quarter. Facing the prospect of trailing 1–3 in the series, the Sixers came back to take the game from the Celtics and tie the series going back to Boston. Game 5 saw Brandon Bass score 27 points, including 18 in the third quarter as the Celtics blew out the Sixers, 101–85, to push them a win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Before the start of Game 6, Allen Iverson presented the game ball, prompting huge cheers from the crowd. It was enough to motivate the Sixers to defeat the Celtics 82–75 to force a Game 7. Jrue Holiday scored 20 points, including two free-throws with 31 seconds to go to put the game away. Game 7 was a tight contest, with the two teams going back-and-forth. Paul Pierce fouled out late in the fourth quarter, but Rondo had his second triple-double of the series, including a fourth quarter that helped the Celtics advance to the Conference Finals to face the Miami Heat.

This series is an important plot point in the 2019 film Uncut Gems, in which Garnett co-stars.[20]

Regular-season series

This was the 20th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 11 of the first 19 meetings.

Western Conference semifinals

This is the first playoffs that the city of Los Angeles has both teams participating in the Conference Semifinals. The last time the Lakers and Clippers were in the Conference Semifinals was

Staples Center, the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, participated in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs
. As a result of these 3 teams sharing one arena, Games 3 and 4 of the Thunder–Lakers and Spurs–Clippers series were played back-to-back on May 18–19 and 19–20 respectively, to avoid scheduling conflicts.

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

May 15
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 92, San Antonio Spurs 108
Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 20–28, 23–30, 20–21
10 Pts: Tim Duncan 26
Rebs: Boris Diaw 12
Asts: Tony Parker 11
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Ron Garretson
,
May 17
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Clippers 88, San Antonio Spurs 105
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 21–17, 25–32, 21–27
5 Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: Parker, Duncan 5 each
Asts: Parker, Ginóbili 5 each
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Leon Wood
,
May 19
3:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 96, Los Angeles Clippers 86
Scoring by quarter: 11–33, 32–20, 26–8, 27–25
10 Pts: Blake Griffin 28
Rebs: Blake Griffin 16
Asts: Chris Paul 11
San Antonio leads series, 3–0
Staples Center
, Los Angeles
Attendance: 19,060
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington,
May 20
10:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Angeles Clippers 99
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 25–26, 23–28, 28–24
5 Pts: Chris Paul 23
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 8
Asts: Chris Paul 11
San Antonio wins series, 4–0
Joe Crawford
, James Capers, Bill Spooner,

The Spurs won their last 14 games coming into this series. They were also well prepared because they were able to sweep their previous opponent, the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Clippers were coming off a tough seven-game series against the Memphis Grizzlies and had to play Game 1 just 2 days after the Game 7 ended. Game 1 was close as the teams were tied coming into the 2nd quarter. However, the Spurs quickly took control in the 2nd and 3rd quarters as they defeated the Clippers, 108–92, and took a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 then saw a Spurs team taking control in the second half to defeat the Clippers and take a 2–0 lead. Going to Los Angeles for a back-to-back Games 3 and 4, the Clippers looked confident to defeat the Spurs, as they quickly took a 40–16 lead with 9:17 to go in the 2nd. However, the Spurs quickly cut the lead to 7 with 36.4 seconds before the half, with the half ending with a 10-point Clipper lead. Then, with the Clippers holding on to a 12-point lead with 9:39 to go in the 3rd, the Spurs unleashed a ferocious 24–0 run to take a 69–57 lead with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Clippers never got closer than seven down the stretch as they watched the Spurs take a commanding 3–0 lead in the series. Game 4 was a close one, with the Clippers leading for much of the fourth quarter before the Spurs took the lead on a Duncan hook shot. Then, in the final moments of the game, Paul made several mistakes, a bad pass and an off-balanced jump shot that missed, that ultimately led to Clippers' demise. Following Parker's free-throw that extended the Spurs' lead to 3, the Clippers had one last chance. However, out of timeouts, the Clippers were forced to take a long inbound pass. Mo Williams managed to catch the ball but was unable to get a shot off as the Spurs completed the sweep of the Clippers. The Spurs became just the fourth team to go 8–0 through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Clippers and the Spurs.[22]

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

May 14
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 90, Oklahoma City Thunder 119
Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 21–29, 24–39, 22–21
4 Pts: Russell Westbrook 27
Rebs: Kevin Durant 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
May 16
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 75, Oklahoma City Thunder 77
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 23–27, 18–12, 12–17
4 Pts: Kevin Durant 22
Rebs: Kevin Durant 7
Asts: Kevin Durant 5
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Rodney Mott
, Jason Phillips,
May 18
10:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 96, Los Angeles Lakers 99
Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 32–27, 23–19, 26–30
4 Pts: Kobe Bryant 36
Rebs: Bynum, Gasol 11 each
Asts: Bryant, Gasol 6 each
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–1
Joe Crawford, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba
,
May 19
10:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Los Angeles Lakers 100
Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 22–27, 25–24, 32–20
5 Pts: Kobe Bryant 38
Rebs: Andrew Bynum 9
Asts: Bryant, Sessions 5 each
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–1
Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Ken Mauer
,
May 21
9:30 pm
Los Angeles Lakers 90, Oklahoma City Thunder 106
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 30–28, 26–29, 13–23
Metta World Peace
5
Pts: Russell Westbrook 28
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 11
Asts: Durant, Harden, Westbrook 4 each
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–1

Much like the Spurs-Clippers series, the series featured a team that swept their first round opponents and another team that were coming off a tough seven-game series. As such, the Thunder had the advantage in Game 1. The result was a convincing 29-point blowout by the Thunder to the Lakers. The Thunder quickly took control through the first three quarters and stretched their lead to as high as 35. Game 2 was much closer, with the Lakers shocking the Thunder by leading by 7 with 2 minutes to go that would seemingly tie the series at 1. However, the Lakers would fail to keep the lead, with the Thunder eventually going on a 9–0 run to take a 2–0 series lead. In Game 3, the Lakers collaborated on both ends to prevent the Thunder from taking a 3–0 lead putting them back into the series. Game 4 saw the Lakers start strong, taking a 10-point lead at halftime. They were able to have a 13-point lead in the fourth. However, Thunder outscored the Lakers 25–9 the rest of the way to take a 3–1 series lead, putting the Lakers into the brink of elimination. With the score tied at 98, Russell Westbrook committed a crucial turnover when he slipped and lost the ball. However, Pau Gasol's pass was taken by Durant, setting up Durant's 3-pointer that gave the Thunder the lead for good. The Lakers still had one last chance to tie but Kobe Bryant's three missed, with Harden hitting two free-throws to effectively seal the deal. In Game 5, Lakers were able to keep the game close throughout the first three quarters before the Thunder closed the series on a flurry, starting with two threes by Kevin Durant. The Lakers were not able to respond as they watched the Thunder take the series, 4–1, to send the Lakers back home for the second straight season in the Conference Semifinals.

Regular-season series

This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning six of the first eight meetings.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference finals

(2) Miami Heat vs. (5) Boston Celtics

May 28
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 79, Miami Heat 93
Scoring by quarter: 11–21, 35–25, 15–26, 18–21
7 Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: LeBron James 13
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Miami leads series, 1–0
Dan Crawford
, Ed Malloy, Jason Phillips,
May 30
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 111, Miami Heat 115 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 24–18, 29–28, 22–35, 24–18, Overtime: 12–16
10 Pts: LeBron James 34
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 11
Asts: LeBron James 7
Miami leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,973
Referees: Ken Mauer
, James Capers, Tom Washington,
June 1
8:30 pm
Miami Heat 91, Boston Celtics 101
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 14–25, 21–30, 28–16
6 Pts: Kevin Garnett 24
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10
Miami leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Rodney Mott
June 3
8:30 pm
Miami Heat 91, Boston Celtics 93 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 23–34, 24–27, 21–12, 21–16, Overtime: 2–4
6 Pts: Paul Pierce 23
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 14
Asts: Rajon Rondo 15
Series tied, 2–2
Joe Crawford
, Bill Kennedy, Greg Willard,
June 5
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 94, Miami Heat 90
Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 24–18, 25–18, 29–30
13 Pts: LeBron James 30
Rebs: Udonis Haslem 14
Asts: Chalmers, Wade 3 each
Boston leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 20,021
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson
, Derrick Stafford,
June 7
8:30 pm
Miami Heat 98, Boston Celtics 79
Scoring by quarter: 26–16, 29–26, 19–19, 24–18
5 Pts: Rajon Rondo 21
Rebs: Brandon Bass 7
Asts: Rajon Rondo 10
Series tied, 3–3
Dan Crawford
, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington
June 9
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 88, Miami Heat 101
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 26–23, 20–27, 15–28
14 Pts: LeBron James 31
Rebs: LeBron James 12
Asts: Mario Chalmers 7
Miami wins series 4–3
Joe Crawford
, Mike Callahan, Scott Foster

This series marked the third straight year that the Heat and Celtics faced each other in the playoffs. They faced each other in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2010 (won by the Celtics, 4–1) and in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2011 (won by the Heat, 4–1). In addition, LeBron faced the Celtics for the third straight year in the playoffs. The LeBron-led Cavs also faced the Celtics in 2010 only to be defeated 4–2, which led to James' arrival on the Heat.

In Game 1, the Celtics started poorly, scoring only 11 points in the first quarter. The Heat had a 10-point lead after 1. The Celtics were hot in the second, scoring 35 points en route to tying the game at halftime. Behind a big second half, the Heat eventually defeated the Celtics 93–79 to take a 1–0 series lead. Game 2 was very different, with the Celtics starting very strong. Midway through the second quarter, a Rondo jumper extended their lead to 15. However, the Heat cut it to 7 at halftime. Miami had another big 3rd quarter. With the Celtics up 71–66 with 4:24 left in the third, a block by Wade on Allen ignited a 15–4 run by the Heat to end the quarter, as they took a 6-point lead heading into the fourth. The fourth quarter was close. With Miami leading 99–96 with 34 seconds left, Allen made a 3 to tie it. It eventually sent the game to OT, with James missing two chances to win the game. Miami eventually won 115–111 to take a 2–0 series lead. Rondo led the Celtics with a career-high 44 points, along with 8 rebounds and 10 assists. There was controversy in regards to the officiating as the Heat shot 18 more free throws, the Celtics committed 33 fouls to the Heat's 18, as well as a play in overtime in a tie game where Rondo was hit in the head by Wade and no foul was called, leading to a fast break dunk for Udonis Haslem. In Game 3, the Celtics got strong performances from Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce. LeBron was also hot in the first quarter, scoring 16 points and making 7 of his first 9 shots. However, despite this performance, the second and third quarters were decisive, with the Celtics outscoring the Heat a combined 55–35 in the two quarters as they had an 85–63 lead heading into the fourth. Miami made a comeback, hitting 3's and dunks to cut the lead to 8. However, Boston held on for a 101–91 victory to make it 2–1. Game 4 was the same story, with the Celtics hitting several 3's and putting on a lead as big as 18. Miami tried another comeback in the third and fourth quarters. Unlike Game 3, they took the lead. Boston answered back, holding a 3-point lead in the final minute before James hit a 3 to tie it with 36 seconds left. This led to the second overtime game of the series. It was a low-scoring affair in OT, with both teams only making one field goal. With 4:22 left, Pierce fouled out, giving Miami a big chance. However, James fouled out with 1:51 left. The Celtics still held a 2-point lead in the dying seconds, but Wade missed a potential game-winning 3 at the buzzer, giving the Celtics a 93–91 win to tie the series going back to Miami. Celtics proceeded to lead the series, 3–2, with a 94–90 win in Game 5. In the game, Bosh returned for the first time since he got injured in Game 1 of the Heat-Pacers series but was not much of a help on the offensive end. He came off the bench in the game and scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 14 minutes played. With the Celtics leading by 1 with less than a minute to go, Pierce knocked down a crucial three-pointer that gave the Celtics the lead for good. The Heat prevented a celebration from happening in Game 6 with a 98–79 blowout win at Boston to send the series back to Miami for a seventh and deciding game. James had one of his best playoff games, scoring 45 points and getting 15 rebounds, 30 of his 45 came in the first half alone. In Game 7, the Celtics started strong. In the second quarter, Garnett picked up his third foul, giving the Heat a chance to try and take a lead. However, Bass led a run that pushed the Celtics' lead to 11. The Celtics would still have a 7-point lead at halftime. The third quarter was decisive once again, letting the Heat tie the game going to the fourth quarter, which was even more decisive. With the Celtics leading by 1 with 8 minutes left, James had a dunk that gave the Heat the lead. It was soon followed by Bosh's third three-pointer of the night (a career-high three 3 pointers) that gave the Heat the lead for good. The Celtics never recovered as the Heat booked a return trip to the Finals with a 101–88 Game 7 win in Miami.

Regular-season series

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

Western Conference finals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

May 27
8:30 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 98, San Antonio Spurs 101
Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 29–22, 24–16, 27–39
5 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 26
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Tony Parker 6
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
Joe Crawford
, Marc Davis, Greg Willard,
May 29
9:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 111, San Antonio Spurs 120
Scoring by quarter: 22–28, 22–27, 32–37, 35–28
8 Pts: Tony Parker 34
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Tony Parker 8
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, Ron Garretson
,
May 31
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 82, Oklahoma City Thunder 102
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 17–32, 19–24, 22–24
5 Pts: Kevin Durant 22
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
Dan Crawford
, Derrick Stafford, Bill Spooner
June 2
8:30 pm
San Antonio Spurs 103, Oklahoma City Thunder 109
Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 17–29, 28–20, 32–34
4 each Pts: Kevin Durant 36
Rebs: Kendrick Perkins 9
Asts: Kevin Durant 8
Series tied, 2–2
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ken Mauer
, James Capers, Ed Malloy,
June 4
9:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 108, San Antonio Spurs 103
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 26–23, 29–28, 27–31
12 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 34
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–2
June 6
9:00 pm
San Antonio Spurs 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 107
Scoring by quarter: 34–20, 29–28, 18–32, 18–27
12 Pts: Kevin Durant 34
Rebs: Kevin Durant 14
Asts: Durant, Westbrook 5 each
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–2
Joe Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Rodney Mott
,

This series would mark only the second time in the last seven years that the top two seeds from the Western Conference faced each other in the Conference Finals. Game 1 would be close, with the Thunder taking a 9-point lead going to the fourth, looking poised to give the Spurs their first loss of the postseason. However, the Spurs took control on both ends in the fourth quarter to stay perfect in the playoffs. In Game 2, the Spurs started strong, at one point in the third quarter taking a 22-point lead. The Thunder would try to climb back in the fourth quarter, eventually cutting the lead to 6 in the fourth quarter. However, the Spurs would answer every run, en route to a 120–111 win over the Thunder and a 2–0 series lead. Manu Ginobili sealed the deal by hitting a three-pointer that extended the Spurs' lead to 10 with about a minute and a half to go. With the win, the Spurs extended their 2012 playoff record to 10–0. This win also marked the Spurs' 20th consecutive win, tied for the 3rd

longest winning streak in NBA history. It is also the longest winning streak that was carried from the regular season and into the playoffs. In Game 3, the Spurs were no match for the Thunder. Behind their thunder blue home crowd, the Thunder blew out the Spurs, 102–82, to give them their first 2012 postseason loss. Game 4 was much closer. In the fourth quarter, Kevin Durant scored half of his 36 points as the Thunder tied the series with a 109–103 win over the Spurs. In Game 5, the Thunder started strong, at one point in the second quarter taking a 13-point lead. The Spurs would still come back in the second half. Fueled by two threes from Ginobili, the Spurs took the lead back. However, the Thunder eventually outscored the Spurs 25–12 for the rest of the quarter to take a 9-point lead heading to the fourth quarter. After a Harden 4-point play that gave the Thunder another 13-point lead, things began to unravel as the Spurs staged an 11–0 run through the next 4 minutes to bring them back into the game. Then, with the Thunder holding on for a 103–101 lead with 28 seconds left, Harden came up big by hitting a crucial three-pointer to give the Thunder a 5-point lead. The Spurs would not give up. Following a Ginobili layup shot that cut the lead to 3, a fullcourt press by the Spurs forced a Thunder turnover, giving them a chance to tie the game. However, Ginobili missed a three-pointer that sealed a 3–2 lead for the Thunder. In Game 6, the Spurs dominated early, outscoring the Thunder by 14 in the first quarter and holding a 15-point lead at halftime. Their largest lead of the game was 18. However the Thunder rallied in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Spurs 32–18. With a few clutch shots by Derek Fisher and James Harden, the Thunder booked a trip to the Finals with a 107–99 comeback win over the Spurs. With the win, the Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving from Seattle in 2008 and the franchise's first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1996, when the franchise was known as the Seattle SuperSonics
.

Regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first three meetings. All previous meetings took place while the Thunder franchise were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics.

NBA Finals: (W2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (E2) Miami Heat

June 12
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 94, Oklahoma City Thunder 105
Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 25–25, 19–27, 21–31
8 Pts: Kevin Durant 36
Rebs: Nick Collison 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen
, Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy
June 14
9:00 pm
Miami Heat 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 28–28, 23–24, 22–29
5 each Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Perkins, Westbrook 8 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Series tied, 1–1
Dan Crawford
, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington
June 17
8:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 85, Miami Heat 91
Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 26–21, 21–22, 18–22
6 Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 14
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
Miami leads series, 2–1
Joe Crawford, James Capers, Ken Mauer
June 19
9:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 98, Miami Heat 104
Scoring by quarter: 33–19, 16–27, 26–33, 23–25
5 Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: James, Bosh 9 each
Asts: LeBron James 12
Miami leads series, 3–1
June 21
9:00 pm
Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Miami Heat 121
Scoring by quarter: 26–31, 23–28, 22–36, 35–26
6 Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: LeBron James 11
Asts: LeBron James 13
Miami wins series, 4–1
Regular-season series

This was the first playoff meeting between the Heat and the Thunder.[26]

Statistic leaders

Category High Average
Player Team Total Player Team Avg. Games played
Points
LeBron James Miami Heat 45 LeBron James Miami Heat 30.3 23
Rebounds Paul Millsap Utah Jazz 19 Josh Smith Atlanta Hawks 13.6 5
Assists Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 17 Rajon Rondo Boston Celtics 11.9 19
Steals Jason Kidd Dallas Mavericks 7 Jason Kidd Dallas Mavericks 3.0 4
Blocks Andrew Bynum Los Angeles Lakers 10* JaVale McGee Denver Nuggets 3.1 7

* Tied NBA Playoffs Record

See also

  • NBA records

References

  1. ^ Latzke, Jeff (June 1, 2012). "Sefolosha sparks Thunder to 102–82 win over Spurs". Yahoo! News. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  2. ^ Zillgitt, Jeff (May 15, 2012). "NBA deals with postseason trauma as stars go down". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015.
  3. ^ "Stern suggests shortened training camp may be reason for injury trend". SportingNews.com. May 9, 2012. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012.
  4. ^ "2011–2012 Conference Regular Season Standings". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 15, 2012. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  5. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  6. ^ "James, Heat pull away to lead 3–0 over Knicks". SI.com. Associated Press. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus New York Knicks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  8. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  9. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  10. ^ Devine, Dan. "Al Jefferson can't see anyone beating Spurs". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — San Antonio Spurs versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  13. ^ "Bynum's triple-double leads Lakers past Nuggets". SI.com. Associated Press. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012.
  14. ^ McMenamin, Dave (May 9, 2012). "Lakers want to end series Tuesday". ESPNLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
  15. ^ "Pau Gasol-led Lakers top Nuggets in Game 7; Metta World Peace adds 15 points in return". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Denver Nuggets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  17. ^ "Clippers rally from 27 down to stun Grizzlies in Game 1; Caron Butler breaks hand". ESPN.com. April 29, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  18. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Clippers versus Memphis Grizzlies (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  19. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Indiana Pacers versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  20. ^ "What Happened in the Celtics-Sixers Series Featured in 'Uncut Gems'?". December 17, 2019.
  21. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  22. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Clippers versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  23. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Lakers versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  24. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  25. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  26. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.

External links