1993 NBA playoffs

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A ticket for Game 4 of the 1993 Western Conference Finals between the Seattle SuperSonics and the Phoenix Suns.

The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-93 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the third straight year. This was the Suns' second Western Conference title; they made their first NBA Finals appearance in 1976, losing to the Celtics.

The Knicks–Pacers rivalry started in their first round encounter, which New York won 3–1. But it wasn't until the next two meetings (1994, 1995) that the rivalry became even more intense, particularly due to Reggie Miller's heroics in the Garden that made him a household name and Indiana legitimate contenders in the East.

The Charlotte Hornets made their playoff debut. Their opening round series versus Boston is also noteworthy for being the last time the Celtics would make the playoffs with Kevin McHale, who retired after the series, and Robert Parish, who left as a free agent, ironically for Charlotte. Game 1 of the series would be the final game in Reggie Lewis's career, as he collapsed during the first quarter and did not play for the remainder of the series. Lewis died in July of a heart attack.

Sports writer Bill Simmons referred to the 1993 post-season as the best in NBA history.[1][2][3]

Bracket

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
                       
1 Phoenix 3
8 L.A. Lakers 2
1 Phoenix 4
5 San Antonio 2
4 Portland 1
5 San Antonio 3
1 Phoenix 4
Western Conference
3 Seattle 3
3 Seattle 3
6 Utah 2
3 Seattle 4
2 Houston 3
2 Houston 3
7 L.A. Clippers 2
W1 Phoenix 2
E2 Chicago 4
1 New York 3
8 Indiana 1
1 New York 4
5 Charlotte 1
4 Boston 1
5 Charlotte 3
1 New York 2
Eastern Conference
2 Chicago 4
3 Cleveland 3
6 New Jersey 2
3 Cleveland 0
2 Chicago 4
2 Chicago 3
7 Atlanta 0

Western Conference

Champion: Phoenix Suns

1st Round

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Los Angeles Lakers: Suns win series 3–2

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

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Los Angeles Clippers: Rockets win series 3–2

This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Clippers.[5]

(3) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (6) Utah Jazz: Sonics win series 3–2

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

(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs: Spurs win series 3–1

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

Conference Semifinals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs: Suns win series 4–2

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

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (3) Seattle SuperSonics: Sonics win series 4–3

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

Conference Finals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) Seattle SuperSonics: Suns win series 4–3

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

Eastern Conference

Champion: Chicago Bulls

1st Round

(1) New York Knicks vs. (8) Indiana Pacers: Knicks win series 3–1

This was the first playoff meeting between the Pacers and the Knicks.[11]

(2) Chicago Bulls vs. (7) Atlanta Hawks: Bulls win series 3–0

  • Game 1 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (April 30): Chicago 114, Atlanta 90
  • Game 2 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 2): Chicago 117, Atlanta 102
  • Game 3 @ The Omni, Atlanta (May 4): Chicago 98, Atlanta 88

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

(3) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (6) New Jersey Nets: Cavaliers win series 3–2

  • Game 1 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 29): Cleveland 114, New Jersey 98
  • Game 2 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (May 1): New Jersey 101, Cleveland 99
  • Game 3 @ Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford (May 5): Cleveland 93, New Jersey 84
  • Game 4 @ Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford (May 7): New Jersey 96, Cleveland 79
  • Game 5 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (May 9): Cleveland 99, New Jersey 89 (Drazen Petrovic's final game, who dies a month later)

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

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Charlotte Hornets: Hornets win series 3–1

  • Game 1 @ Boston Garden, Boston (April 29): Boston 112, Charlotte 101 (Celtics forward Reggie Lewis collapses on the court and did not play for the rest of the series. He dies 3 months later from a heart defect.)
  • Game 2 @ Boston Garden, Boston (May 1): Charlotte 99, Boston 98 (2OT)
  • Game 3 @ Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte (May 3): Charlotte 119, Boston 89
  • Game 4 @ Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte (May 5): Charlotte 104, Boston 103 (Alonzo Mourning hits the series-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left; this was Kevin McHale's final NBA game)

This was the first playoff meeting between the Celtics and the Hornets.[14]

Conference Semifinals

(1) New York Knicks vs. (5) Charlotte Hornets: Knicks win series 4–1

This was the first playoff meeting between the Hornets and the Knicks.[15]

(2) Chicago Bulls vs. (3) Cleveland Cavaliers: Bulls win series 4–0

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

Conference Finals

(1) New York Knicks vs. (2) Chicago Bulls: Bulls win series 4–2

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

NBA Finals

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Main article: 1993 NBA Finals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (2) Chicago Bulls: Bulls win series 4–2

This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Suns.[18]

Notes

  • The league's best team during the regular season, the Phoenix Suns were on the verge of playoff elimination after losing the first two games at home against the #8 seeded Los Angeles Lakers. However, they recovered to win Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles to tie the series at 2. In Game 5, Dan Majerie hit a 3-pointer to force OT. The Suns eventually pulled away to win Game 5 112–104 at home to avoid becoming the first #1 seed to lose to a #8 seed. This would happen the following postseason, when the #8 Denver Nuggets defeated the #1 Seattle SuperSonics 3–2 (The Nuggets came back from a 2–0 series deficit to pull it off).
  • Both #5 seeds Charlotte and San Antonio beat their #4 seeded opponent in the First Round.
  • The fifth-year Charlotte Hornets made their playoff debut, and became the first of the 1988/89 expansion teams (Charlotte, Orlando, Minnesota, and Miami) to win a playoff series, beating Boston 3–1.
  • The New York Knicks take a 2–0 series lead over the Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals. However, headlines in New York papers and tabloids angered and energized Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, who torched the Knicks for 54 points in Game 4 after shooting 3–18 in Game 3 to even up the series.[citation needed] This performance surpassed Sam Jones's 51-point game against the 1967 Knicks as the most points ever scored by a player against the Knicks in a playoff game.[19] The Bulls went to Madison Square Garden and won Game 5 97–94 and clinched the series at home in Game 6 with a 96–88 victory.
  • Celtics' star Reggie Lewis fainted on the court during Game 1 against the Hornets. He briefly returned to the game before sitting out the rest of the series. He died less than three months later from a heart condition.[citation needed]
  • After the Suns defeated the Sonics in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, there were complaints[by whom?] about the free throw comparison between the two teams.[citation needed]
  • Game 6 of the Suns–Spurs series was the last game ever played at the HemisFair Arena.
  • The Cavaliers defeated the Nets in the Eastern Conference First Round, which was their last win in a playoff series until 2006. Game 5 of that series was also the last game played by Dražen Petrović, who died in a car accident five weeks later.

References

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External links

fi:NBA-kausi 1992–1993#Pudotuspelit

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