NBA Betting

History of the NBA Finals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons - 1988

Courtesy Los Angeles Lakers

The 1987-88 Lakers posted 62 regular-season wins and repeated as NBA champions.

It will be remembered as one of the boldest forecasts in sports history. "I guarantee you we will repeat as champions next year," said Los Angeles Lakers Coach Pat Riley after his team had defeated the Boston Celtics in the 1987 NBA Finals.

Riley was laughing in the face of some grim history. No team in the previous 19 years had won back-to-back NBA titles, including his own Lakers, who had failed to repeat three times alone in the 1980s. But Riley was searching for an edge to motivate his players. And he also had another thought: If the Lakers could win in 1987-88, why shouldn't they be considered one of the best teams, maybe the best, in the history of pro basketball?

A year later, with sweat matting his slicked-back hair and his shirt soaked with champagne, Riley stood in the Lakers' locker room and smiled. There was no talk of the Lakers' historical ranking, however. On this night, he would leave those thoughts to others. Instead, he wanted to relish what had happened moments earlier on the court: His club had indeed fulfilled his prophecy and won a second straight league title.

The accomplishment hardly had been easy. The Lakers had been pushed and shoved and tormented by the upstart Detroit Pistons, who extended them to seven arduous games before Los Angeles won the finale, 108-105, on June 21, closing out the series, four games to three.

"We made a very strong defense," said Riley, the NBA's most articulate coach. "Now it is up to you, the prosecutors, to judge us, to give us our place in history."

The Lakers and their coach knew how close they had come to losing this cherished championship. Before the challenge of the Pistons, Los Angeles had been threatened seriously by Utah in the Western Conference Semifinals and by Dallas in the Conference Finals. The Lakers won both series in seven games -- they eventually became the first team in NBA history to win three seven-game playoff series in the same season -- but both Dallas and Utah players could look back with pride at how close they had come to knocking off the Lakers.

Detroit had methodically plowed through the Eastern Conference, spotting Chicago a win in the Conference Semifinals before drubbing the Bulls in five games, and breaking the Boston Celtics' home-court jinx en route to a six-game triumph over the defending Eastern Conference champs.

The Celtics, who squeezed by Atlanta in the first round, had beaten Detroit 21 straight times at home. But the Pistons marched into Boston Garden and captured Game 1, serving notice to the Celtics, Lakers and any other interested parties that they were serious. Five games later, the Celtics were history. Detroit's depth and versatility offset the experience of the Celtics, who tried in vain to survive with their iron-man starting five.

When the Pistons traveled to Los Angeles, they were cocky and confident, even though nobody, from the Lakers to the fan on the street, gave them much of a chance against the reigning NBA champs.

Those thoughts quickly dissipated June 7 in Game 1 at the Forum. Detroit opened up an 8-0 lead and then went up at halftime, 57-40, when Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas hit back-to-back three-point baskets as the second quarter ended. The closest the Lakers could get after that was eight points and Detroit cruised to a stunning 105-93 victory behind 34 points by Adrian Dantley (14 of 16 field goals) and 19 points and 12 assists from Thomas.

"We played probably our smartest game of the year in regards to making the right (offensive) decisions at the right time," said Detroit guard Joe Dumars. A stunned Riley could only lament that "it probably was one of the worst games we've ever played in the playoffs here at home."

Suddenly, the Lakers came to a collective realization that they had their hands full. Riley had to find ways to neutralize Detroit's talented bench, its tenacious defense and the scoring of Dantley, who took advantage of the Lakers' decision not to double-team him in Game 1.

"We'll see," said Riley, "if we have the heart of champions."

At least one Laker heard Riley's call. Magic Johnson shook off flu symptoms to score 23 points and hand off 11 assists, and Worthy scored 26 points as Los Angeles held off the rallying Pistons, 108-96, Game 2.

Even with the win, however, the Lakers troubled. They had come out strong in Game 2, but still had to struggle and scramble, on their home court, to pull from an 80-80 tie with 8 1/2 minutes remaining. Even an 11-2 Laker run didn't faze the Pistons, who closed to three points with 3:05 left before finally losing.

"A 'hope' game," said Riley. "You hope to get out of here with one win and now we have to get at least one on the road to get hack here to play."

The odds clearly were In the Pistons' favor. "We win at home the next three games and we're champions," said Thomas. "It's that simple."

But it became much more complicated after Game 3. Piston fans poured into the Silverdome to witness what they hoped would be the further fall of the Lakers. Instead, proud Los Angeles finally got its running game untracked and burled the Pistons, 99-86, to regain home-court advantage. This was a close game at halftime, but the Lakers took care of the suspense in the third quarter with a 31-18 spurt, including eight straight points by Worthy, who finished with 24, three more than fellow forward A.C. Green. The Pistons shot a dismal 42 percent.

"No one is panicking in here," said Dantley afterward. "We just have to remember to do the things that help us win."

The triumph was particularly special to Johnson, who had grown up in nearby Lansing, Mich. His mother treated the team to a home-cooked feast and his father, who doesn't like to fly, saw his son for the first time in a playoff game in person. Detroit, which had been thoroughly embarrassed by the Game 3 loss, bounced back with authority, crushing the Lakers, 111-86, in Game 4. It was the Lakers' turn to shoot poorly.

They made just 40 percent of their attempts and lost touch in the third period when Detroit outscored them, 25-14. That Piston surge occurred with Johnson on the bench. The Lakers, without their floor leader, were outmanned and had no way of answering.

The win was a psychological boost for the Pistons, who won despite a below-par effort from Thomas. Nursing a bad back injured the previous game, Thomas missed one practice and limped through this contest. Not even the birth of his son could quicken the healing.

"I think my presence out on the court was all we needed," said Thomas, who ran the Piston offense effectively, passing off rather than trying to penetrate. Dantley benefited most from Thomas' playmaking, scoring 27 points.

Detroit continued to play well, pulling out Game 5, 104-94, to carry a 3-2 advantage back to Los Angeles. An NBA playoff record crowd of 41,732 witnessed the Pistons' final game in the Silverdome and Dantley's strong play. He scored 19 points in the first half and 25 overall, getting three Lakers in foul trouble. Once again the Detroit bench made a significant contribution, with Vinnie Johnson (16 points) and James Edwards (10 points in 15 minutes) playing the most prominent roles.

"Adrian Dantley has been on a roll like I've never seen in his two years here," said Detroit Coach Chuck Daly. "He's a driven man."

But Riley was more concerned with the referees than Dantley. He wondered aloud whether a double standard existed in the calling of fouls. And Johnson, upset with Detroit's physical play, vowed his team would give back what it was receiving by smashing his good friend, Thomas, to the ground when the Detroit guard tried to drive the lane. Thomas leaped up and pushed Johnson, but Riley called it "a lovers quarrel."

Thomas said the shove didn't bother him. But a sprained ankle in Game 6 couldn't be shrugged off as easily. Despite the ailment, he was brilliant, scoring an NBA Finals record 25 points in the third period. He finished with 43, but even that performance was not enough to put the Lakers away. They overcame a three-point deficit with one minute left and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had played a lackluster series, clinched the 103-102 victory with 14 seconds remaining by hitting two free throws.

Detroit had a chance to win, but Dumars missed a shot in the lane. Worthy again led the Lakers with 28 points while Johnson had 11 of his 22 in the final period.

"It was the most breathtaking game I've ever played in," said Johnson.

It certainly was the most physical game of Thomas' career. He was sore and dizzy from a poke in the eye and no one was sure he could play on the swollen ankle in Game 7.

"To be a champion," said Thomas, "you have to be lucky and good."

The Lakers were both in Game 7. Again, the third quarter proved pivotal. L.A. hit its first 10 shots of the period to build a 70-58 advantage, and then led by as much as 15 in the fourth.

The Pistons, however, made one last surge, closing to within one point. But Los Angeles won the game, 108-105, and the championship.

Worthy was named series MVP after scoring 36 points with 16 rebounds and 10 assists in the finale, his first career triple-double.

"Playing in this championship was the hardest thing for me to do," said Johnson. "Trying not to be friends with Isiah -- that was the most difficult thing I've ever had to go through."

But no one savored the victory more than Riley. "I guarantee you one thing," he said about the longest season in NBA history, "we will enjoy this all summer long. It took 115 games to get the job done. They worked and won it."

And what about next year, Pat? Before he could answer, team captain Abdul-Jabbar put a towel across his mouth. For now, any future guarantees would have to wait.