Wiki English 2024
EnglishJapaneseVietnamese

1987–88 Detroit Pistons season

The 1987–88 NBA season was the Detroit Pistons' 40th season in the NBA and 31st season in the city of Detroit.[1] The team played at the Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Pontiac, Michigan.

1987–88 Detroit Pistons season
Conference champions
Division champions
Head coachChuck Daly
General managerJack McCloskey
Owner(s)William Davidson
ArenaPontiac Silverdome
Results
Record54–28 (.659)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Central)
Conference: 2nd (Eastern)
Playoff finishNBA Finals
(lost to Lakers 3–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionPASS Sports
(Fred McLeod, Tom Wilson)
WKBD
(George Blaha, Hubie Brown, Greg Kelser, Dick Motta)
RadioWWJ–AM
(George Blaha, Hubie Brown, Greg Kelser, Dick Motta)
< 1986–87 1988–89 >
A ticket for Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals at The Forum.

The Pistons finishing with a then franchise-best record of 54–28 (.659), 1st place in the NBA Central Division. the first division championship for the franchise since moving to Detroit in 1957. In the 1988 NBA Playoffs, they defeated the Washington Bullets 3–2 in the first round, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 4–1 in the semifinals, and then Larry Bird and the top-seeded Boston Celtics 4–2 in the conference finals. They would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1956 when the team was based in Fort Wayne, only to lose to the defending and eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in a hard-fought 7-game series.[2]

Game 6 saw a remarkable performance, as Pistons star Isiah Thomas went down with a gruesome ankle injury. On the sidelines, camera shots displayed the critical condition of Thomas's foot, as he could barely fit his shoe back on, but Thomas insisted on playing. Hobbling badly for the rest of the game, the Pistons guard put on a show, scoring 25 points in the third quarter, and 43 points in the game.

In the closing seconds, with the Pistons ahead, there was a controversial call on Pistons center Bill Laimbeer. Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feinted over his right shoulder to the middle, then pivoted to his left for his classic sky hook along the baseline. Laimbeer raised his hands straight above his head to show he wasn't fouling and yet was called for what Laker coach Pat Riley would call a "phantom foul".[3][4][2][5] The Pistons lost 103–102 as Abdul-Jabbar made both free throws, and then, with a very limited Thomas for game 7, the Lakers took the title with a 108–105 victory in Los Angeles. Pistons owner Bill Davidson said, "Well, the worst loss was out in LA when I was in the room with David Stern getting ready to accept the trophy, and they call a foul on Bill Laimbeer against Kareem. Bill pulled down a clean rebound, and Hugh Evans calls a foul. You know that he was set up, and you know … I don't say he had a bet on the game, but that was … that was unconscionable! And that cost us a championship, which we should have had. Which we had."[6]

Detroit was led on the season by Thomas (19.5 ppg, 8.4 apg, NBA All-Star), forward Adrian Dantley (20.0 ppg), and guard Joe Dumars (14.2 ppg). As the season came to a close, Game 5 of Finals was the franchise's last game at the Pontiac Silverdome, as they would move to another Detroit-area suburban arena, the purpose-built Palace of Auburn Hills, the following season.

Birth of the Bad Boys edit

The Pistons of this era became known as the Bad Boys. At the start of the 1987–88 season, Al Davis, owner of the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL sent Raiders merchandise to the Pistons to acknowledge the shared view of the teams and their physical style of play. Dan Hauser, Pistons Vice-president of Marketing said, "Al sent us Raiders sweaters, and when we played Golden State in Oakland, Al had Raiders warm-ups for us with our names and numbers on them. The rough bad-boy fighting style of the Raiders fits our image. That`s why, at our home games at the Palace, you see a sea of black: black caps, black T-shirts, black sweatshirts".[7][8]

The end of season video yearbook produced by the Pistons was titled Bad Boys, with a connection to the 1983 movie, and the Bad Boys name came into being.[9] The Pistons players embraced the rough and tumble image, Nintendo released Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, a futuristic basketball game without rules, without fouls, and weapons are permitted, the Pistons marketed around the Bad Boys identity, and Detroit fan embraced the blue-collar identity. Pistons guard Joe Dumars said, "You can't be great in this league and have zero identity".[10]

The positive view of the team was not universal with Michael Jordan declaring "the Bad Boys are bad for basketball",[11] later adding "I hated them. And that hate carries even to this day."[12] David Stern, Commissioner of the NBA at the time, said, "If I had it to do over again, we would be more aggressive in regulating, shall we say, that style of play, because it led to our game becoming much more physical".[10]

Jalen Rose, who later starred as a member of the Fab Five at Michigan, embraced the Bad Boys brand as a teenager growing up in Detroit, stating "I loved everything about the Bad Boys. I loved how they played and how they didn't back down. They just went out and kicked the other teams' butts."[13][14] Pistons announcer George Blaha said, "I think the people of Detroit and all across Michigan loved the Pistons' don't-back-down-ever mentality. Detroit's a working person's town and that's the same type of fan that you have all across the state of Michigan from the big cities to the small towns. Never does a day go by that somebody that I talk to doesn't bring up the Bad Boys; they loved 'em".[15]

Draft picks edit

Main article: 1987 NBA draft

Roster edit

1987–88 Detroit Pistons roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
C25Bedford, William7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)225 lb (102 kg)Memphis
SF45Dantley, Adrian6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)208 lb (94 kg)Notre Dame
C50Dawkins, Darryl6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)251 lb (114 kg)Maynard Evans High School
G4Dumars, Joe6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg)McNeese State
F/C53Edwards, James7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)225 lb (102 kg)Washington
SG15Johnson, Vinnie6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)200 lb (91 kg)Baylor
C40Laimbeer, Bill6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)245 lb (111 kg)Notre Dame
SG35Lewis, Ralph6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)200 lb (91 kg)La Salle
F/C44Mahorn, Rick6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)240 lb (109 kg)Hampton
C54Moore, Ron7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)195 lb (88 kg)West Virginia State
C42Nevitt, Chuck7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)217 lb (98 kg)NC State
F10Rodman, Dennis6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg)SE Oklahoma State
SG23Russell, Walker6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg)Western Michigan
F/C22Salley, John6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)230 lb (104 kg)Georgia Tech
PG11Thomas, Isiah6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg)Indiana
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season edit

Season standings edit

Central Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Detroit Pistons5428.659–34–720–2120–10
x-Chicago Bulls5032.610430–1120–2116–13
x-Atlanta Hawks5032.610430-1120-2116–13
x-Milwaukee Bucks4240.5121230–1112–2913–17
x-Cleveland Cavaliers4240.5121231–1011–3011–19
Indiana Pacers3844.4631625–1613–2813–17
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1c-Boston Celtics5725.695–
2y-Detroit Pistons5428.6593
3x-Chicago Bulls5032.6107
4x-Atlanta Hawks5032.6107
5x-Milwaukee Bucks4240.51215
6x-Cleveland Cavaliers4240.51215
7x-Washington Bullets3844.46319
8x-New York Knicks3844.46319
9Indiana Pacers3844.46319
10Philadelphia 76ers3646.43921
11New Jersey Nets1963.23238

Record vs. opponents edit

1987–88 NBA Records
TeamATLBOSCHICLEDALDENDETGSWHOUINDLACLALMILNJNNYKPHIPHOPORSACSASSEAUTAWAS
Atlanta—2–42–35–12–01–12–42–01–14–22–00–23–35–03–36–01–10–21–12–02–01–13–3
Boston4–2—3–32–32–00–23–32–01–15–02–00–23–35–15–14–22–02–02–02–01–12–05–1
Chicago3–23–3—3–30–21–12–42–02–03–32–01–15–15–13–24–22–01–11–11–11–12–03–3
Cleveland1–53–23–3—1–11–11–50–21–14–21–11–12–45–12–43–21–11–12–02–01–10–26–0
Dallas0–20–22–01–1—3–31–14–14–22–05–01–42–01–11–11–15–03–25–15–13–23–31–1
Denver1–12–01–11–13–3—1–14–14–21–15–03–21–12–01–12–03–22–34–25–14–12–42–0
Detroit4–23–34–25–11–11–1—2–01–13–31–10–24–25–14–24–12–01–12–01–11–12–03–2
Golden State0–20–20–22–01–41–40–2—0–50–23–30–60–22–00–21–12–41–52–33–21–51–40–2
Houston1–11–10–21–12–42–41–15–0—2–03–21–42–01–11–11–14–14–14–22–43–23–32–0
Indiana2–40–53–32–40–21–13–32–00–2—1–11–13–36–02–32–42–00–22–02–01–11–12–4
L.A. Clippers0–20–20–21–10–50–51–13–32–31–1—1–50–20–20–21–12–40–63–20–51–51–40–2
L.A. Lakers2–02–01–11–14–12–32–06–04–11–15–1—0–22–02–02–05–13–34–15–04–24–11–1
Milwaukee3–33–31–54–20–21–12–42–00–23–32–02–0—3–23–32–41–11–12–01–11–11–14–1
New Jersey0–51–51–51–51–10–21–50–21–10–62–00–22–3—3–32–41–10–21–11–10–21–10–6
New York3–31–52–34–21–11–12–42–01–13–22–00–23–33–3—3–30–21–11–11–10–21–13–3
Philadelphia0–62–42–42–31–10–21–41–11–14–21–10–24–24–23–3—1–11–11–11–11–12–03–3
Phoenix1–10–20–21–10–52–30–24–21–40–24–21–51–11–12–01–1—0–63–22–32–42–30–2
Portland2–00–21–11–12–33–21–15–11–42–06–03–31–12–01–11–16–0—4–15–03–31–42–0
Sacramento1–10–21–10–21–52–40–23–22–40–22–31–40–21–11–11–12–31–4—3–31–41–50–2
San Antonio0–20–21–10–21–51–51–12–34–20–25–00–51–11–11–11–13–20–53–3—3–23–30–2
Seattle0–21–11–11–12–31–41–15–12–31–15–12–41–12–02–01–14–23–34–12–3—1–42–0
Utah1–10–20–22–03–34–20–24–13–31–14–11–41–11–11–10–23–24–15–13–34–1—2–0
Washington3–31–53–30–61–10–22–32–00–24–22–01–11–46–03–33–32–00–22–02–00–20–2—

Game logs edit

Regular season edit

1987–88 game log
Total: 54–28 (home: 34–7; road: 20–21)
November: 7–5 (home: 3–1; road: 4–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
1November 6, 1987
7:30 PM EST		New YorkW 110–99Pontiac Silverdome
28,676		1–0
2November 7, 1987
9:00 p.m. EST		@ MilwaukeeL 105–119Dantley,
Dumars (20)		Rodman (8)Thomas (8)MECCA Arena
11,052		1–1
3November 10, 1987
7:30 PM EST		@ IndianaL 118–121Market Square Arena
11,885		1–2
4November 13, 1987
7:30 PM EST		@ PhiladelphiaW 113–94The Spectrum
12,302		2–2
5November 14, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		@ ClevelandW 128–113Thomas (32)Rodman (10)Dumars,
Thomas (9)		Richfield Coliseum
10,157		3–2
6November 18, 1987
7:30 PM EST		PhiladelphiaL 109–113Pontiac Silverdome
17,445		3–3
7November 20, 1987
7:30 PM EST		Golden StateW 131–108Pontiac Silverdome
20,362		4–3
8November 21, 1987
8:30 p.m. EST		@ ChicagoW 144–132 (OT)Dantley (45)Mahorn,
Rodman (8)		Thomas (10)Chicago Stadium
18,466		5–3
9November 24, 1987
8:00 PM EST		@ HoustonW 97–83The Summit
16,611		6–3
10November 25, 1987
8:30 p.m. EST		@ DallasL 107–113Dumars (19)Rodman (10)Thomas (15)Reunion Arena
17,007		6–4
11November 27, 1987
7:30 PM EST		San AntonioW 143–111Pontiac Silverdome
30,743		7–4
12November 28, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		@ WashingtonL 102–124Dantley,
Thomas (22)		Mahorn (14)Dumars (8)Capital Centre
13,028		7–5
December: 11–1 (home: 8–1; road: 3–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
13December 1, 1987
7:30 PM EST		@ New JerseyW 124–115 (OT)Brendan Byrne Arena
8,232		8–5
14December 2, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		MilwaukeeW 115–105Dantley (25)Laimbeer (16)Thomas (13)Pontiac Silverdome
18,780		9–5
15December 4, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		BostonW 128–105Dantley (21)Mahorn (14)Thomas (12)Pontiac Silverdome
34,523		10–5
16December 8, 1987
7:30 PM EST		PortlandW 127–117Pontiac Silverdome
17,126		11–5
17December 11, 1987
7:30 PM EST		WashingtonW 114–108Pontiac Silverdome
17,884		12–5
18December 12, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		New YorkW 124–96Dantley (29)Laimbeer (11)Thomas (9)Pontiac Silverdome
21,368		13–5
19December 15, 1987
8:00 p.m. EST		ChicagoW 127–123 (OT)Laimbeer (29)Mahorn (14)Dantley (7)Pontiac Silverdome
23,729		14–5
20December 18, 1987
7:30 p.m. EST		DallasW 117–112Dantley (28)Laimbeer (15)Johnson (11)Pontiac Silverdome
19,426		15–5
21December 25, 1987
12 Noon EST		@ New YorkW 91–87Madison Square Garden
14,549		16–5
22December 26, 1987
7:30 PM EST		New JerseyW 110–75Pontiac Silverdome
23,330		17–5
23December 29, 1987
7:30 PM EST		HoustonL 91–101Pontiac Silverdome
26,498		17–6
24December 30, 1987
7:30 PM EST		@ IndianaW 105–95Market Square Arena
12,945		18–6
January: 6–8 (home: 4–2; road: 2–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
25January 2, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		DenverL 142–151Thomas (40)Laimbeer (13)Thomas (17)Pontiac Silverdome
23,746		18–7
26January 5, 1988
8:00 p.m. EST		@ AtlantaL 71–81Thomas (18)Laimbeer (16)Thomas (6)The Omni
16,451		18–8
27January 6, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		AtlantaW 90–87Thomas (18)Rodman (16)Thomas (7)Pontiac Silverdome
25,749		19–8
28January 8, 1988
8:00 p.m. EST		L.A. LakersL 104–106Dantley,
Dumars (25)		Laimbeer,
Mahorn (11)		Thomas (10)Pontiac Silverdome
40,278		19–9
29January 13, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		@ BostonL 105–143Dantley (24)Mahorn (7)Johnson (8)Boston Garden
14,890		19–10
30January 15, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		ClevelandW 97–93Dantley (38)Dantley,
Mahorn (10)		Thomas (11)Pontiac Silverdome
19,622		20–10
31January 16, 1988
8:30 p.m. EST		@ ChicagoL 99–115Johnson (22)Rodman (13)Thomas (11)Chicago Stadium
18,676		20–11
32January 18, 1988
4:00 p.m. EST		@ DenverW 123–116Dantley (32)Laimbeer (17)Thomas (10)McNichols Sports Arena
13,004		21–11
33January 20, 1988
9:30 p.m. EST		@ UtahW 120–117Dantley,
Thomas (28)		Laimbeer (15)Thomas (12)Salt Palace
12,212		22–11
34January 22, 1988
10:30 p.m. EST		@ SeattleL 106–109Laimbeer (21)Laimbeer (14)Thomas (15)Seattle Center Coliseum
14,737		22–12
35January 24, 1988
10:00 PM EST		@ PortlandL 111–119Memorial Coliseum
12,666		22–13
36January 27, 1988
7:30 PM EST		IndianaW 103–86Pontiac Silverdome
19,801		23–13
37January 29, 1988
8:00 p.m. EST		BostonW 125–108Dantley (22)Laimbeer,
Mahorn,
Salley (11)		Thomas (12)Pontiac Silverdome
61,983		24–13
38January 30, 1988
7:30 PM EST		@ New JerseyL 104–116Brendan Byrne Arena
11,894		24–14
February: 11–4 (home: 7–0; road: 4–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
39February 1, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		@ ClevelandL 83–94Dantley (20)Laimbeer (13)Thomas (11)Richfield Coliseum
10,636		24–15
40February 2, 1988
8:30 p.m. EST		@ MilwaukeeW 99–97Mahorn (28)Laimbeer (13)Dumars (6)MECCA Arena
11,052		25–15
41February 4, 1988
7:30 PM EST		@ New YorkL 93–100Madison Square Garden
14,363		25–16
All-Star Break
42February 9, 1988
8:30 PM EST		@ ChicagoW 89–74Laimbeer (17)Laimbeer (18)Dumars,
Johnson
,Laimbeer (6)		Chicago Stadium
17,846		26–16
43February 10, 1988
7:30 PM EST		New YorkW 98–87Pontiac Silverdome
19,160		27–16
44February 12, 1988
8:00 p.m. EST		AtlantaW 108–92Thomas (25)Laimbeer (12)Johnson (10)Pontiac Silverdome
35,884		28–16
45February 13, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		ChicagoW 82–73Rodman (15)Rodman (19)Thomas (7)Pontiac Silverdome
40,369		29–16
46February 15, 1988
7:30 PM EST		PhiladelphiaW 102–95Pontiac Silverdome
21,530		30–16
47February 18, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		SeattleW 108–95Johnson (27)Rodman (10)Thomas (12)Pontiac Silverdome
24,482		31–16
48February 19, 1988
9:00 p.m. EST		@ MilwaukeeL 108–119Thomas (32)Mahorn,
Rodman (11)		Thomas (9)MECCA Arena
11,052		31–17
49February 21, 1988
3:30 p.m. EST		@ L.A. LakersL 110–117Thomas (42)Laimbeer (14)Thomas (10)The Forum
17,505		31–18
50February 23, 1988
10:30 PM EST		@ SacramentoW 121–105ARCO Arena
10,333		32–18
51February 24, 1988
10:30 PM EST		@ Golden StateW 107–93Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena
14,340		33–18
52February 26, 1988
7:30 PM EST		New JerseyW 137–109Pontiac Silverdome
25,334		34–18
53February 28, 1988
12 Noon EST		BostonW 106–101Dantley (19)Laimbeer,
Mahorn (11)		Dumars (10)Pontiac Silverdome
37,462		35–18
March: 11–5 (home: 8–1; road: 3–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
54March 1, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		@ AtlantaW 117–104Dumars (25)Laimbeer,
Rodman (9)		Dumars (9)The Omni
16,451		36–18
55March 2, 1988
7:30 PM EST		L.A. ClippersW 103–90Pontiac Silverdome
16,554		37–18
56March 5, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		@ WashingtonL 97–101Johnson,
Thomas (17)		Mahorn (17)Thomas (8)Capital Centre
15,656		37–19
57March 6, 1988
7:00 p.m. EST		MilwaukeeW 109–99Laimbeer (22)Rodman (11)Thomas (10)Pontiac Silverdome
24,751		38–19
58March 8, 1988
7:30 PM EST		@ IndianaL 104–117Market Square Arena
13,220		38–20
59March 9, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		UtahW 103–98Laimbeer (27)Rodman (13)Thomas (8)Pontiac Silverdome
20,623		39–20
60March 11, 1988
7:30 PM EST		PhoenixW 116–88Pontiac Silverdome
21,612		40–20
61March 12, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		ClevelandW 104–100Dumars,
Laimbeer,
Thomas (16)		Laimbeer (13)Thomas (13)Pontiac Silverdome
33,854		41–20
62March 14, 1988
7:30 PM EST		SacramentoW 109–97Pontiac Silverdome
16,909		42–20
63March 17, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		@ ClevelandW 102–99Dantley (20)Rodman (14)Thomas (8)Richfield Coliseum
13,261		43–20
64March 20, 1988
7:00 p.m. EST		WashingtonW 118–110Dumars (25)Salley (9)Thomas (6)Pontiac Silverdome
22,075		44–20
65March 22, 1988
7:30 PM EST		IndianaW 123–104Pontiac Silverdome
18,645		45–20
66March 25, 1988
8:30 PM EST		@ San AntonioL 106–107HemisFair Arena
8,596		45–21
67March 26, 1988
9:30 PM EST		@ PhoenixW 108–103Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
14,025		46–21
68March 28, 1988
10:30 PM EST		@ L.A. ClippersL 100–102Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
12,156		46–22
69March 30, 1988
7:30 p.m. EST		AtlantaL 102–103Thomas (35)Laimbeer (14)Thomas (6)Pontiac Silverdome
47,692		46–23
April: 8–5 (home: 4–2; road: 4–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Record
70April 1, 1988
8:00 p.m. EST		@ BostonL 110–121Laimbeer (22)Rodman (8)Thomas (10)Boston Garden
14,890		46–24
71April 3, 1988
1:30 p.m. EDT		ChicagoL 110–112Thomas (24)Rodman (9)Dumars (9)Pontiac Silverdome
23,712		46–25
72April 5, 1988
7:30 PM EDT		@ New JerseyW 125–108Brendan Byrne Arena
11,586		47–25
73April 8, 1988
7:30 PM EDT		@ PhiladelphiaW 96–86The Spectrum
15,164		48–25
74April 9, 1988
7:30 p.m. EDT		@ AtlantaW 115–102Thomas (20)Laimbeer (16)Dumars (8)The Omni
16,451		49–25
75April 11, 1988
7:30 PM EDT		@ New YorkL 111–114 (OT)Madison Square Garden
13,312		49–26
76April 13, 1988
7:30 p.m. EDT		ClevelandW 115–98Dantley (28)Laimbeer (13)Dumars (6)Pontiac Silverdome
18,808		50–26
77April 15, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		MilwaukeeW 92–91Rodman (18)Laimbeer,
Mahorn (10)		Thomas (8)Pontiac Silverdome
27,126		51–26
78April 16, 1988
7:30 PM EDT		New JerseyW 114–96Pontiac Silverdome
22,767		52–26
79April 19, 1988
7:30 p.m. EDT		@ BostonL 110–121Thomas (21)Rodman (11)Thomas (8)Boston Garden
14,890		52–27
80April 21, 1988
7:30 p.m. EDT		@ WashingtonW 99–87Dantley (31)Rodman (7)Thomas (8)Capital Centre
11,713		53–27
81April 22, 1988
7:30 PM EDT		IndianaL 98–103Pontiac Silverdome
27,881		53–28
82April 24, 1988
7:00 PM EDT		PhiladelphiaW 128–118Pontiac Silverdome
27,854		54–28
1987–88 schedule

Playoffs edit

1988 playoff game log
Eastern Conference First Round: 3–2 (home: 3–0; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1April 28, 1988
7:30 p.m. EDT		WashingtonW 96–87Thomas (34)Laimbeer (12)Dumars (6)Pontiac Silverdome
17,356		1–0
2April 30, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		WashingtonW 102–101Thomas (30)Laimbeer (11)Dumars (5)Pontiac Silverdome
18,293		2–0
3May 2, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		@ WashingtonL 106–114 (OT)Thomas (29)Laimbeer (8)Thomas (8)Capital Centre
9,673		2–1
4May 4, 1988
8:00 PM EDT		@ WashingtonL 103–106Dantley,
Rodman (23)		Laimbeer (10)Thomas (10)Capital Centre
10,513		2–2
5May 8, 1988
3:30 p.m. EDT		WashingtonW 99–78Dumars (20)Laimbeer (11)Thomas (11)Pontiac Silverdome
18,403		3–2
Eastern Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1May 10, 1988
8:30 p.m. EDT		ChicagoW 93–82Dantley (23)Laimbeer (14)Thomas (8)Pontiac Silverdome
18,312		1–0
2May 12, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		ChicagoL 95–105Thomas (25)Laimbeer (14)Thomas (13)Pontiac Silverdome
20,281		1–1
3May 14, 1988
1:00 p.m. EDT		@ ChicagoW 101–79Johnson (23)Laimbeer (10)Thomas (11)Chicago Stadium
18,676		2–1
4May 15, 1988
3:30 p.m. EDT		@ ChicagoW 96–77Dantley (24)Laimbeer (13)Thomas (11)Chicago Stadium
18,676		3–1
5May 18, 1988
8:30 p.m. EDT		ChicagoW 102–95Thomas (25)Laimbeer (13)Thomas (9)Pontiac Silverdome
21,371		4–1
Eastern Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1May 25, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		@ BostonW 104–96Thomas (35)Mahorn (10)Thomas (12)Boston Garden
14,890		1–0
2May 26, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		@ BostonL 115–119 (2OT)Thomas (24)Salley (12)Thomas (11)Boston Garden
14,890		1–1
3May 28, 1988
3:30 p.m. EDT		BostonW 98–94Dumars (29)Salley (9)Thomas (6)Pontiac Silverdome
26,481		2–1
4May 30, 1988
3:00 p.m. EDT		BostonL 78–79Laimbeer (29)Mahorn,
Salley,
Thomas (8)		Thomas (7)Pontiac Silverdome
26,625		2–2
5June 1, 1988
8:00 p.m. EDT		@ BostonW 102–96 (OT)Thomas (35)Salley (9)Dumars,
Thomas (5)		Boston Garden
14,890		3–2
6June 3, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		BostonW 95–90Johnson (24)Laimbeer (9)Thomas (9)Pontiac Silverdome
38,912		4–2
NBA Finals: 3–4 (home: 2–1; road: 1–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1June 7, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		@ L.A. LakersW 105–93Dantley (34)Laimbeer (7)Thomas (12)The Forum
17,505		1–0
2June 9, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		@ L.A. LakersL 96–108Dantley (19)Laimbeer,
Mahorn (9)		Dumars,
Thomas (7)		The Forum
17,505		1–1
3June 12, 1988
3:30 p.m. EDT		L.A. LakersL 86–99Thomas (28)Rodman (12)Thomas (9)Pontiac Silverdome
39,188		1–2
4June 14, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		L.A. LakersW 111–86Dantley (27)Thomas (9)Thomas (12)Pontiac Silverdome
34,297		2–2
5June 16, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		L.A. LakersW 104–94Dantley (25)Laimbeer (11)Thomas (8)Pontiac Silverdome
41,372		3–2
6June 19, 1988
3:30 p.m. EDT		@ L.A. LakersL 102–103Thomas (43)Laimbeer (9)Dumars (10)The Forum
17,505		3–3
7June 21, 1988
9:00 p.m. EDT		@ L.A. LakersL 105–108Dumars (25)Salley (10)Thomas (7)The Forum
17,505		3–4
1988 schedule

NBA Finals edit

Game 1 edit

The Pistons had just dispatched the Celtics in six games, while the Lakers were coming off back-to-back seven-game wins over the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers were tired, and it showed. Adrian Dantley scored 34 points, hitting 14 of 16 shots from the field. The Pistons took control of the game with six seconds left in the first half when Bill Laimbeer hit a 3-point shot to put the Pistons up 54–40. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar then fired an inbound pass intended for Byron Scott, but it was intercepted by Isiah Thomas who let fly with another three-pointer which went in at the halftime buzzer. The Pistons had a 57–40 halftime lead and never looked back, stealing Game 1 with a 105–93 win.

Game 2 edit

Facing the possibility of going down 2–0 with three games to play in Detroit, the veteran Lakers found resolve with a 108–96 win. James Worthy led the Lakers with 26 points, Byron Scott had 24, and Magic Johnson 23 despite battling the flu.

Game 3 edit

With Magic still battling the flu, the Lakers got a key win in Detroit, 99–86, to go up 2–1 in games. The Lakers took control of the game in the third period, outscoring the Pistons 31–14. Despite his illness, Magic had 18 points, 14 assists, and six rebounds.

Game 4 edit

With pride in front of their home fans, the Pistons tied the series at 2–2 with a 111–86 blowout win. The Pistons decided to attack the basket and make Magic Johnson defend. Johnson wound up on the bench early in the second half with foul trouble.

With Magic out of the game, the Pistons built a substantial lead. During timeouts, Bill Laimbeer was almost frantic. He kept saying, "No letup! We don't let up!" They didn't, and blew out the defending NBA champions by 25 points.

Left open by the trapping Lakers defense, Dantley led the team with 27 points. Vinnie Johnson came off the bench to add 16 while James Edwards had 14 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Game 5 edit

The Pistons' 104–94 victory was a perfect farewell to the Pontiac Silverdome. "I told Joe Dumars with a minute left in the game to look around and enjoy this because you'll never see anything like it again," Laimbeer said. "Forty-one thousand people waving towels and standing. It was awesome."

The Lakers opened Game 5 with a fury of physical intimidation, scoring the game's first 12 points. But that approach soon backfired, as the Laker big men got into foul trouble.

Dantley played a major role in the turnaround, scoring 25 points, 19 of them in the first half, to rally the Pistons to a 59–50 halftime lead. Vinnie Johnson added 12 of his 16 points in the first half to keep Detroit moving.

Joe Dumars added 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting to send the Pistons back to Los Angeles, one win away from their first NBA title.

Game 6 edit

This game turned out to be a classic confrontation between a team hungry for their first title (Detroit) and a veteran team with their backs to the wall (the Lakers).

The Lakers led 56–48 in the third quarter when Isiah Thomas suddenly began a classic performance. He scored the game's next 14 points, hitting two free throws, a driving layup, four jump shots, and a running bank shot.

On the Pistons' next possession, Thomas stepped on Michael Cooper's foot, rolled his ankle, and had to be helped from the floor. Despite a severe sprain, Thomas returned to the game 35 seconds later and continued his dizzying onslaught. By the end of the third quarter, Thomas had scored 25 points, an NBA Finals record for one quarter, on 11-of-13 shooting. This helped the Pistons gain an 81–79 lead.

The Pistons' momentum carried into the final period as they led 102–99 with a minute left. Byron Scott cut the lead to one with a 14-footer in the lane with 52 seconds remaining. The Lakers then turned up the defense on the Pistons' next possession, forcing Thomas into a desperation 18-footer. Forty-one-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar then got the ball on the Lakers' trip down the floor and posted up Bill Laimbeer for his signature skyhook. As Kareem shot, Laimbeer was whistled for a foul, even though replays showed he barely touched Kareem. Jabbar then coolly sank the two free throws to put the Lakers up 103–102. The lead held up as Thomas, bad ankle and all, missed another shot at the buzzer.

Thomas would end up with 43 points and eight assists, but it was for naught as the series moved to Game 7.

Game 7 edit

One of the best NBA Finals in recent memory closed out with another classic.

Thomas' ankle was still sore, as evidenced by his limping badly in warmups. He did manage to play the first half, scoring 10 points and leading the Pistons to a 52–47 halftime lead. But, the delay between halves caused the ankle to stiffen, and Thomas could not continue. With Isiah on the bench, the Lakers turned the halftime deficit into a 90–75 lead late in the 4th quarter.

Chuck Daly then went to a faster lineup with Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Joe Dumars, and Vinnie Johnson that created matchup problems for the Lakers and enabled the Pistons to score at a torrid pace. With 3:52 left, Salley canned two free throws to cut the Laker lead to 98–92, sending the Forum fans into a panic.

With 1:17 left, Dumars hit a jump shot to cut the lead to 102–100. Magic Johnson then hit a free throw after a Rodman foul to put the Lakers up by three. On the Pistons' next trip down the floor, Rodman took an ill-advised jumper with 39 seconds left. Byron Scott rebounded and was fouled. His two free throws pushed the lead to 105–100.

After Dumars made a layup, James Worthy hit a free throw and Bill Laimbeer canned a three-pointer, pushing the score to 106–105 with six seconds showing. A.C. Green completed the scoring with a layup off a length-of-the court pass from Magic, making it 108–105, and although the Pistons got the ball to Thomas at midcourt with a second remaining, he fell without getting off a shot.

Worthy racked up a monster triple-double: 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. For that and his earlier efforts in the series, he was named the Finals MVP.

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ "1987–88 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com.
  2. ^ a b "What If: A turned ankle, a shocking whistle cost the Pistons a shot at 3 straight (maybe 4) NBA titles". www.nba.com.
  3. ^ Cobb, Thomas. "Rewind: 1988 NBA Finals—Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons".
  4. ^ "Hollinger: Best single-game performances: No. 7". ESPN.com. June 11, 2010.
  5. ^ Skolnick, Ethan. "Pat Riley Admits '88 Lakers Benefited from Phantom Foul vs. Detroit Pistons". Bleacher Report.
  6. ^ "Chevette to Corvette No. 5: The 1987–88 Detroit Pistons". December 25, 2011.
  7. ^ "PISTONS FANS FEEL GOOD LOOKING REAL BAD". Chicago Tribune.
  8. ^ "The Origin of the Bad Boys". Detroit Sports Nation. October 12, 2015.
  9. ^ Bad Boys 1987-88 Detroit Pistons [dead link]
  10. ^ a b "Pistons 'Bad Boys' special on ESPN evokes emotions a quarter-century later". mlive. April 18, 2014.
  11. ^ "Don't buy into Michael Jordan's narrative: The 'Bad Boys' Pistons deserve your respect". sports.yahoo.com.
  12. ^ "Jordan: I hate the 'Bad Boys' Pistons to this day". ESPN.com. April 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "Bad Boy Identity: How the Pistons Came to Represent the City of Detroit". July 24, 2019.
  14. ^ "How the Detroit Pistons came to be known as the Bad Boys". April 27, 2016.
  15. ^ "The Bad Boys Capture Back-To-Back Championships: Pistons Fans, Players Remember The Team's Golden Years". June 15, 2016.
Retrieved from "https:https://www.how.com.vn/wiki/index.php?lang=en&q=1987–88_Detroit_Pistons_season&oldid=1222312495"
🔥 Top keywords: Akademia e Shkencave e RPS te ShqiperiseAlexandria Ocasio-CortezBilderberg GroupCristiano RonaldoDong XiaowanMinecraftOperation GladioPrimal cutRiot FestStrictly Come Dancing (series 7)Main PageSpecial:SearchMichael Mosley (broadcaster)Carlos AlcarazAlexander ZverevWikipedia:Featured picturesChirag PaswanHit Man (2023 film)Union Council of Ministers2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup2024 Indian general election2024 European Parliament electionCleopatraKinjarapu Ram Mohan NaiduDeaths in 2024Glen PowellProject 2025Nirmala SitharamanPawan KalyanBad Boys: Ride or DieICC Men's T20 World CupAdria ArjonaNarendra ModiIga ŚwiątekRamoji RaoS. JaishankarAlan HansenJack NicklausList of prime ministers of India.xxxYouTubeRam Vilas PaswanUFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. ImavovSabrina CarpenterUEFA Euro 2024The Acolyte (TV series)Barry KeoghanChristopher ReeveAnnpurna Devi